4 
GREAT BLACK-RACKED GULL 
of falling. Though not the slightest damage was inflicted, I felt doubtful for a moment as to what 
might have been the result of the concussion had the dead body struck the inflated cylinder of the 
boat. The bird wounded Avith the first barrel AA’as AAashing along a short distance to leevA^ard and was 
soon picked up. llaAdng noAV obtained both adults and young, a fcAV minutes AA’ere spent in a \-aia attempt to 
arrange the cargo in a satisfactory manner before continuing my voyage. It was utterly impossible in my 
present position to kill the old bird, and the young, though quiet and sulky for the moment, were somcAvliat 
snappish. Being, moreov^er, uninjured as well as scarcely less poAA'erful than their parents, I anticipated an 
outbreak, and luckily pulled for a point of sand on the north shore. But half the distance had been passed 
over Avhen, owing to the cross swell, the spray broke freely OA^er the gunwale and fell on the captives in just 
sufllcicnt quantities to rouse up the Avounded bird, Avhich instantly commenced a furious attack on Avhatever 
it could lay hold of. The floor of an india-rubber boat is necessarily confined, and the example of their parent 
probably exciting the juveniles, a general mutiny broke out. The nai^OAV seat afforded but slight protection, 
and, though luckily never adopting the true Highland costume, I suffered severely from the sharp beaks of the 
Avhole party, my cramped position and the size of the craft rendering any effectual resistance impossible *. At 
last the shore was reached, and assistance at once procured, as the shots had been Avitnessed from the Avagonette. 
After being relieved of my troublesome passengers, Avhom I despatched by road, far better progress Avas made, 
and the landing-place in front of the inn at I.airg was reached in three and a half hours after going afloat 
fifteen miles up the loch — not such bad travelling, considering the delay in searching the islands and securing 
the Gulls ; a favourable breeze, quite as much as aa'Us agreeable, had, hoAA'ever, contributed in no small degree to 
the speed. The beaks of the young Averc of a dark horn tint, light at the points and flesh-coloured at the base 
of the lower mandible ; inside of mouth pale flesh ; iris hazel; legs and feet pale livid flesh.” 
The nestlings while in the doAvn are of a pale broAvn or sandy colour, Avith a fcAV black marks on the back 
of the head and neck, the remainder of the down being here and there speckled Avith grey. The general tint 
is somcAvhat paler than the down on the young of the Lesser Black-hack. The beak in the early stage is very 
pale horn, light at the tip, flesh at the base ; iris hazel ; legs and feet pale livid flesh. The beak rapidly alters, 
changing to a darker horn as the birds groAV older and the feathers are assumed. The eyes do not change 
during the first year. The young in the doA\my stage I examined in two or three nests on the islands in Loch 
Skeanaskaig on June 13 , 1878 , one brood being secured as specimens. Numbers of adults are seen in 
summer about this magnificent sheet of Avater, and several pairs breed on the smaller rocky islets and on the 
Avet and boggy parts of the adjoining moors. The vicAvs from the summit of the larger island, near the centre 
of the loch, are perhaps unsurpassed in the Highlands. An immense stretch of wild and rugged moorland, 
backed by many lofty mountains, Avhosc strange glassy slopes and steep broken precipices meet the gaze in 
almost every direction, form a panorama that can scarce fail to strike the beholder. A stone dyke' has been 
l)uilt on the top of Suilven, to prevent the sheep approaching a dangerous part of the hill, and this structure 
in clear Aveather is faintly visible, btbenvise there is not a sign of human intervention AA’ith the primitive 
condition of the country OA'er all the Avide expanse. 
There is little or no change in the plumage of this species during the second year. At the age of tAA'eh'e 
months the immature bird has but increased in bulk, the iris, beak, and legs being much the same as during 
the first autumn. While in this stage, unless Avorn out hy protracted gales, they seldom stray far inland, the 
shores of the salt-Avater lochs and the sea-coast being their usual haunts. The rocky islands off the Hebrides 
and along the western mainland arc at times densely covei’ed by numbers of immature Gulls of various species. 
In the interior of the Long Island the upper Avaters of Seaforth Loch, above the narrows, are frequently resorted 
* The bite of the (treat Black-back is sharper than that of any other of our sea-fowl. On one occasion the shore-master at Tain (an official^ 
who has charge of the mussel-bauks) seized hold of a bird I had winged, and a deep cut on each side of the thumb was inflicted, entirely 
incapacitating the hand for some weeks. 
