THE LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL. 
339 
and now and then ])erliaps some hits of dry sea-weed. Occa- 
sionally, when the birds are building on the grassy ledges of 
the sea-cliffs, the earth is scraped away to receive the nests, 
but I have seen the egg upon the bare rock, merely surrounded 
by a thick ring formed of dead })lants and short dry grass, 
which alone prevented its rolling off. This, however, was very 
early in June, with a great number of unfinished nests close 
by ; so that it could scarcely be regarded as a completed work. 
For many years of my residence in Shetland, I used to see 
daily a Lesser Black-backed Gull which had been long domi- 
ciled at Halligarth, not showing the smallest restlessness or 
desire to accompany her fellows at the time of the annual 
migration, which takes place in August. The bird was a 
female, taken from the rocks when very young, and placed in 
the garden, where she lived summer and winter without 
attempting to escape. A slight injury to one wing prevented 
her from flying, but the door might be left open for hours at a 
time, or snow might be lying on a level with the walls, and 
yet she would never pass their limits. Although so long in 
human society, no amount of kindness seemed to make the 
smallest impression upon her. Any one approaching her was 
sure to be attacked, even those who carried her food being 
subject to the same ungTacious treatment. Almost anything 
eatable seemed to suit her appetite, even oatmeal porridge not 
being refused ; while fish, raw meat, birds, and mice would 
never come amiss. Somewhat later in the breeding season she 
used regularly to scrape out a rude sort of nest, and would sit 
most perseveringly in it for several weeks ; but if eggs were 
introduced while she was away feeding, as they repeatedly 
were, she would upon her return invariably break them with 
her bill, and swallow most of the contents. One winter, during 
a long-continued frost, she was attacked by two Hooded Crows, 
but compelled them both to retreat, though not until after a 
terrible battle, in which she nearly lost her life. The bird was 
found dead one fine April morning when within a year of 
completing her quarter of a century. 
