﻿BIEDS. 
  

  

  183 
  

  

  Of 
  late 
  years, 
  this 
  species 
  has 
  become 
  somewhat 
  trouble- 
  

   some 
  to 
  the 
  farmer, 
  it 
  having 
  developed 
  a 
  strong 
  liking 
  for 
  

   his 
  turnips 
  ; 
  by 
  digging 
  holes 
  in 
  the 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  bulbs, 
  water 
  

   accumulates 
  therein, 
  resulting 
  in 
  the 
  early 
  destruction 
  of 
  each 
  

   root 
  so 
  acted 
  upon. 
  So 
  eager 
  are 
  the 
  birds 
  in 
  this 
  work 
  that 
  

   they 
  soon 
  gorge 
  themselves, 
  after 
  which 
  they 
  move 
  off 
  to 
  their 
  

   favourite 
  resting-places 
  — 
  often 
  by 
  the 
  side 
  of 
  small 
  pools 
  — 
  

   where 
  they 
  rest 
  until 
  the 
  turnips 
  are 
  digested, 
  when 
  the 
  

   refuse 
  portion 
  is 
  cast 
  up 
  in 
  the 
  shape 
  of 
  dry 
  chalky-like 
  

   pellets, 
  which 
  may 
  be 
  seen 
  in 
  immense 
  quantities 
  at 
  such 
  

   resting-resorts* 
  

  

  Nothing 
  comes 
  amiss 
  to 
  this 
  bird 
  in 
  the 
  shape 
  of 
  food. 
  It 
  

   eats 
  corn 
  and 
  almost 
  any 
  sort 
  of 
  carrion. 
  I 
  have 
  seen 
  them 
  

   tearing 
  their 
  dead 
  brethren, 
  and 
  eating 
  them 
  with 
  much 
  

   apparent 
  satisfaction. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  "Ornithology 
  of 
  the 
  Coast," 
  given 
  at 
  p. 
  116 
  of 
  the 
  

   Black-booh 
  of 
  Kincardineshire, 
  the 
  Herring 
  Gull 
  occupies 
  the 
  

   first 
  place. 
  

  

  Larus 
  canus, 
  Linn. 
  Common 
  Gull. 
  

  

  A 
  fairly 
  plentiful 
  species 
  that 
  remains 
  with 
  us 
  throughout 
  

   the 
  year, 
  and 
  forms 
  its 
  nest 
  upon 
  the 
  tops 
  of 
  some 
  of 
  our 
  

   hills. 
  

  

  In 
  company 
  with 
  Mr. 
  William 
  Wilson, 
  Hillocks, 
  Terpersie, 
  

   I, 
  in 
  June, 
  1890, 
  visited 
  the 
  Hill 
  of 
  Drumbarton, 
  a 
  high, 
  

   rounded, 
  flat-topped 
  eminence, 
  that 
  forms 
  the 
  east 
  side 
  of 
  

   Terpersie 
  Glen. 
  Here, 
  after 
  a 
  little 
  search, 
  we 
  found 
  a 
  nest 
  

   containing 
  three 
  eggs, 
  all 
  of 
  which 
  had 
  been 
  newly 
  sucked, 
  

   evidently 
  by 
  Carrion 
  Crows, 
  which 
  were 
  frightened 
  away 
  by 
  

   our 
  approach. 
  Many 
  of 
  the 
  body 
  and 
  scapular 
  feathers 
  of 
  the 
  

   Gulls 
  were 
  lying 
  about 
  the 
  nest, 
  which 
  was 
  made 
  of 
  heather 
  

   twigs 
  and 
  moss, 
  very 
  shallow, 
  and 
  placed 
  beside 
  large 
  flat 
  

   stones. 
  Other 
  two 
  nests 
  were 
  seen 
  built 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  way, 
  

   and 
  with 
  the 
  same 
  surroundings, 
  but 
  no 
  eggs. 
  It 
  is 
  doubtful 
  

   if 
  any 
  young 
  are 
  hatched, 
  for 
  the 
  crows 
  are 
  continually 
  

   prowling 
  around, 
  and 
  it 
  seems 
  impossible 
  for 
  their 
  eggs, 
  so 
  

   much 
  exposed 
  as 
  they 
  are, 
  to 
  escape 
  this 
  keen 
  -sighted 
  

   plunderer; 
  nor 
  would 
  the 
  young, 
  if 
  they 
  were 
  hatched, 
  have 
  

   any 
  better 
  a 
  chance 
  of 
  escape, 
  seeing 
  they 
  have 
  to 
  be 
  left 
  so 
  

   long 
  unprotected, 
  the 
  parent 
  birds 
  having 
  some 
  miles 
  to 
  fly 
  

  

  