THE BLACK-HEADED GULL. 
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( Arundo phragmites ) , and tolerably well concealed by herbage. 
A man living on the banks of the lake stated, that these birds 
had been regularly in the habit of breeding there until three or 
four years previous to that time, when a boat was placed per- 
manently on the lough, in consequence of which they abandoned 
it until the present year (1832), when the boat is much the 
same as being away — -lying at the edge, a wreck. It is said 
that they made their first appearance at Portlough for the season 
about three weeks ago, and that when the young birds are “ out,” 
the parents may be almost constantly seen flying to Sheephaven, and 
returning thence, carrying sand-eels in their bills for the young. 
On the 15th of June, 1833, a breeding-haunt of this species 
in Lough Neagh was visited by William Sinclaire, Esq., and 
myself. This is a narrow piece of ground, which runs out for 
perhaps 300 yards from the north-east of Lam's Island, with 
which it is connected, and is merely a bed of gravel (raised a few 
feet above the surface of the lake), that in the course of time has 
become covered with herbage — grasses, rushes, &c. — and shrubby 
willows of different kinds. About the roots of these, and over 
the whole ground, the nests of the black-headed gull were placed 
in such numbers, that we were obliged to be extremely cautious 
in looking where to set our feet in avoidance of them : our 
circumspection before every foot-fall, however amiable, appeared 
in action rather ludicrous, reminding us of the manner in which 
cautious ladies pause while crossing a snow-covered street. 
These nests contained eggs of every number up to six inclusive, 
though authors generally state that the bird lays only three. 
They differed from those of the common tern (which here, were 
mere hollows in the short grass, without a vestige of any extra- 
neous matter), in being composed of dried grasses, rushes, and 
such other vegetable substances as were within reach ; but were 
not regularly formed like those of the kittiwake gull at Horn 
Head. The eggs varied exceedingly in size, form, and colour, 
not two exactly alike being seen in the same nest.* 
* This is more singular than the statement of Mr. Salmon in respect to this 
species, that each laying of eggs in the same season (amounting to three if the 
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