326 
LABIDAL. 
observed a few years ago about the island of a lake near Shercock, 
county Cavan.* On a flat island — a building-haunt — in one of the 
Mayo lakes,, Mr. B. Ball and I saw many of them in July 1834, 
and that .gentleman's brother, either in 1840 or 1841, reckoned 
about fifty pair at their breeding-islets in two other lakes of that 
county — Levally and Conn — but more at the former one. Both 
lakes were said to have been frequented by the species from time 
immemorial. In the evening they left these haunts in flocks, and 
flew to the distance of five or six miles, to feed on the moths which 
appeared in abundance above the meadows that had been flooded 
during the winter. In Loughs Mask and Corrib (Galway) this gull 
is said to nidify in great numbers. t Many other fresh-water lakes 
throughout the island are doubtless frequented by it for incu- 
bation ; — such only have I known it resort to, in Ireland, for 
that purpose. On some of the low flat islands on the sea-coast 
at the mouth of the Thames, it is said to build, J and is described 
in general terms by Degland, in his ‘ Ornithologie Europeenne/ 
as breeding on the borders of the sea at the embouchure of rivers 
(vol. ii. p. 327). 
The black-headed gulls retire from most of their breeding- 
places so soon as the young are able to leave them, but about a 
great expanse of water like Lough Neagh they remain longer : 
at the end of September 1834, I remarked many there, and 
considered it not improbable that they may be permanently resi- 
dent, making feeding excursions to the ploughed lands on its 
banks, as the species elsewhere does from the sea-shore. 
Just after the breeding season numbers frequent the oozy 
banks of the river Lagan, over which the tide flows, where they 
continue through the autumn, but towards winter, move to the 
bay. Yery early in spring they again appear far up the Lagan, 
which is their daily resort until breeding time arrives : — many 
are in the upper parts of the estuary from August until May. 
* Mr. T. W. Warren. t Mr. K. J. Montgomery. | Yarrell. 
