34G 
LARID^. 
weathers, soaring far overhead, its deep firm note dominant 
over all the jangle of the cliffs. It is commonly seen in pairs 
or in small parties, the wide expanse of wing, often exceeding 
five feet, rendering it conspicuous wherever it goes. 
None of the Gulls approaches so nearly in its habits to the 
raptorial birds. It resembles them even in its ways of 
skimming along the hillsides in the summer-time in quest of 
what may be about, and like them will sometimes sit for a 
long while motionless upon an isolated stone. I have repeat- 
edly known it pounce upon birds in trouble. For example, 
one November day, as I was lying concealed behind some rocks 
waiting for a wounded Golden-eye which had alighted in the 
water, and was letting itself drift with the tide, three Great 
Blackbacks came sailing over, and to my great surprise one of 
them made a sudden stoop at the wounded bird. The Duck 
tried to dive, but was unable, and the Gull instantly seized it 
by the upper part of the neck, rose with it a few feet, and let 
it fall again into the water. Another of the Gulls then repeated 
the same process twice, and when the unfortunate Duck lay 
motionless upon the water, apparently dead, all three took to 
charging at it with their bills, tearing out the feathers at each 
stroke, and paying not the smallest attention to my shouts, 
only going off when I fired a barrel in their direction to scare 
them away. On another occasion, at the Flugga lighthouse, 
a Storm Petrel which had been but slightly injured by flying 
against the lantern, and had been kept alive for some days, 
managed to make its escape. As it descended towards the sea 
a Great Black-backed Gull dashed forward, and seizing the 
poor little thing in its bill, disappeared with it in the cliff 
beneath. This was witnessed by two persons whose word may 
be relied upon. I have also seen it swoop down upon a Shag, 
to claim its share of the fish which was in process of being 
swallowed ; nor must the Shag itself be altogether sure of its 
ground upon such occasions, for this powerful Gull will even 
at times go so far as to devour a young Cormorant, as I can 
testify from })ersonal observation. It is also a great carrion 
