﻿BIEDS. 
  

  

  181 
  

  

  On 
  9th 
  November, 
  1893, 
  an 
  immature 
  specimen 
  was 
  shot 
  

   at 
  Rosehearty 
  and 
  sent 
  to 
  me. 
  

  

  "A 
  mature 
  bird 
  was 
  caught 
  at 
  Fraserburgh, 
  January 
  13th, 
  

   1895." 
  (Serle, 
  Annals 
  of 
  Scottish 
  Natural 
  History, 
  April, 
  1895, 
  

   p. 
  125.) 
  

  

  From 
  information 
  received 
  from 
  Mr. 
  J. 
  Fraser, 
  Boddam, 
  

   I 
  am 
  able 
  to 
  state 
  that 
  four 
  specimens 
  were 
  killed 
  at 
  the 
  

   mouth 
  of 
  the 
  Ythan 
  during 
  December, 
  1894. 
  

  

  In 
  January, 
  1896, 
  an 
  immature 
  bird, 
  killed 
  at 
  Pennan, 
  was 
  

   brought 
  to 
  me. 
  

  

  Larus 
  tridactyla, 
  Linn. 
  Kittiwake. 
  

  

  The 
  Kittiwake 
  is 
  an 
  abundant 
  species 
  with 
  us, 
  and 
  breeds 
  

   in 
  vast 
  numbers 
  in 
  many 
  places 
  along 
  the 
  rocky 
  coast, 
  both 
  

   in 
  Kincardineshire 
  and 
  Aberdeenshire, 
  and 
  since 
  the 
  Sea 
  

   Birds' 
  Protection 
  Act 
  came 
  into 
  operation, 
  this, 
  and 
  the 
  whole 
  

   family 
  of 
  Gulls 
  that 
  breed 
  with 
  us, 
  have 
  increased 
  very 
  

   considerably. 
  

  

  Formerly 
  this 
  species 
  was 
  a 
  regular 
  article 
  of 
  food, 
  but 
  

   now 
  they 
  are 
  not 
  used. 
  Pennant, 
  while 
  on 
  his 
  tour 
  in 
  

   Scotland 
  in 
  1771, 
  in 
  speaking 
  of 
  the 
  multitudes 
  of 
  Kitti- 
  

   wakes 
  to 
  be 
  seen 
  on 
  the 
  coast 
  of 
  Aberdeenshire, 
  says 
  : 
  

   " 
  The 
  young 
  are 
  a 
  favourite 
  dish 
  in 
  north 
  Britain, 
  being 
  

   served 
  up 
  a 
  little 
  before 
  dinner 
  as 
  a 
  whet 
  for 
  the 
  appetite 
  ; 
  

   but 
  from 
  the 
  rank 
  smell 
  and 
  taste, 
  seem 
  as 
  they 
  were 
  more 
  

   likely 
  to 
  have 
  a 
  contrary 
  effect. 
  I 
  was 
  told 
  by 
  an 
  honest 
  

   gentleman 
  who 
  sat 
  down 
  for 
  the 
  first 
  time 
  to 
  this 
  kind 
  of 
  

   whet, 
  as 
  he 
  supposed, 
  but 
  after 
  demolishing 
  half-a-dozen 
  with 
  

   much 
  impatience, 
  declared 
  that 
  he 
  had 
  eaten 
  sax 
  and 
  did 
  not 
  

   find 
  himself 
  a 
  bit 
  more 
  hungry 
  than 
  before 
  he 
  began." 
  

  

  Notwithstanding 
  the 
  above 
  opinion, 
  the 
  Kittiwake 
  when 
  

   properly 
  cooked 
  is 
  a 
  very 
  good 
  and 
  pleasant 
  article 
  of 
  food, 
  and 
  

   has 
  none 
  of 
  the 
  "rank 
  smell 
  and 
  taste" 
  attributed 
  to 
  it. 
  As 
  

   it 
  is 
  unfashionable, 
  however, 
  at 
  present 
  to 
  eat 
  Sea 
  Gulls, 
  many 
  

   a 
  poor 
  wretch 
  would 
  almost 
  as 
  soon 
  starve 
  as 
  think 
  of 
  par- 
  

   taking 
  of 
  such 
  a 
  dish. 
  

  

  "Along 
  the 
  rocky 
  shores 
  of 
  this 
  country, 
  myriads 
  of 
  

   migratory 
  birds 
  take 
  up 
  their 
  abode 
  for 
  a 
  few 
  months 
  in 
  

   the 
  spring 
  and 
  summer. 
  .... 
  These 
  consist 
  of 
  many 
  

   distinct 
  kinds, 
  such 
  as 
  Kitti 
  wakes, 
  Coots, 
  Tommie-nories 
  or 
  

  

  