﻿BIRDS. 
  

  

  215 
  

  

  assertive 
  and 
  procreative, 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  so 
  certain 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  itself 
  able 
  

   to 
  struggle 
  and 
  live 
  against 
  an 
  undue 
  increase 
  of 
  its 
  own 
  species 
  

   beyond 
  a 
  certain 
  point. 
  We 
  are 
  aware 
  that 
  at 
  more 
  than 
  one 
  

   vast 
  colony 
  of 
  these 
  birds 
  their 
  natural 
  supplies 
  of 
  food 
  appear 
  to 
  

   be 
  scarce 
  or 
  exhausted, 
  and 
  this 
  has 
  resulted 
  in 
  actual 
  emaciation, 
  

   weakness, 
  and 
  death, 
  the 
  birds 
  actually 
  having 
  been 
  seen 
  to 
  drop 
  

   down 
  dead 
  around 
  their 
  nesting 
  haunts 
  ; 
  or 
  it 
  may 
  be, 
  in 
  some 
  

   cases, 
  that 
  owiDg 
  to 
  insufficiency 
  of 
  their 
  natural 
  food 
  at 
  certain 
  

   important 
  phases 
  of 
  their 
  existence, 
  that 
  other 
  food 
  unsuitable 
  to 
  

   their 
  condition 
  at 
  the 
  time 
  has 
  been 
  taken. 
  1 
  Another 
  argument 
  in 
  

   opposition 
  to 
  the 
  over-preservation 
  of 
  these 
  birds 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  found 
  in 
  

   the 
  fact 
  that 
  they 
  consume 
  vast 
  numbers 
  of 
  young 
  Salmonida*, 
  

   even 
  attacking 
  and 
  killing 
  young 
  Loch 
  Leven 
  trout 
  two 
  years 
  old, 
  

   and 
  this 
  in 
  the 
  early 
  spring 
  months 
  before 
  they 
  commence 
  their 
  

   breeding 
  season. 
  

  

  Larus 
  canus, 
  L. 
  Common 
  Gull. 
  

  

  Local 
  Name. 
  — 
  Sea 
  Go 
  (or 
  Gow). 
  

  

  An 
  abundant 
  species, 
  breeding 
  either 
  in 
  single 
  pairs 
  or 
  in 
  colonies 
  

   in 
  many 
  parts 
  of 
  our 
  area, 
  more 
  especially, 
  perhaps, 
  in 
  Suther- 
  

   land, 
  either 
  on 
  the 
  shore 
  or 
  inland. 
  They 
  breed 
  on 
  the 
  hill 
  of 
  

   Tain, 
  and 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  very 
  fine 
  colony 
  at 
  Loch 
  Lundie, 
  near 
  Inver- 
  

   garry. 
  

  

  Sometimes 
  pairs 
  of 
  these 
  birds 
  place 
  their 
  nests 
  among 
  the 
  

   stones 
  or 
  on 
  small 
  grassy 
  tussocks 
  at 
  the 
  edge 
  of 
  a 
  loch 
  or 
  river, 
  

   and 
  as 
  they 
  lay 
  about 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  May, 
  when 
  the 
  waters 
  are* 
  

   low, 
  we 
  have 
  often 
  known 
  of 
  their 
  nests 
  being 
  swept 
  away 
  when 
  

   an 
  untimely 
  spate 
  has 
  come. 
  

  

  Edward 
  says, 
  abundant 
  in 
  winter 
  and 
  spring, 
  but 
  he 
  did 
  not 
  

   believe 
  it 
  bred 
  in 
  the 
  east 
  of 
  our 
  area. 
  It 
  occurs 
  in 
  Smith's 
  lists, 
  

   and 
  is 
  represented 
  in 
  the 
  Museum 
  at 
  Banff. 
  

  

  We 
  have 
  ourselves 
  met 
  with 
  it 
  commonly 
  in 
  summer, 
  and 
  

   earlier, 
  as 
  far 
  up 
  as 
  Upper 
  Deveron, 
  and 
  seen 
  it 
  even 
  about 
  the 
  

   Upper 
  Cabrach 
  in 
  August 
  1891 
  ; 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  known 
  to 
  breed 
  in 
  

  

  1 
  We 
  have 
  often 
  wondered 
  what 
  haa 
  l>ecn 
  the 
  direct 
  cause 
  of 
  death 
  amongst 
  

   recently 
  hatched 
  and 
  young 
  of 
  many 
  species, 
  which 
  breed 
  in 
  colonies, 
  at 
  a 
  stage 
  

   before 
  they 
  would 
  become 
  dependent 
  upon 
  insect 
  or 
  other 
  food, 
  or 
  could 
  assist 
  tlu 
  n 
  

   selves, 
  as 
  is 
  the 
  case 
  with 
  Gulls, 
  Terns, 
  and 
  Waders, 
  etc. 
  

  

  