THE LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL. 
371 
and with the stick as a seat, looked, comparatively with others in 
similar situations, quite comfortable and at his ease. 
We were too late (July 8) for many eggs being taken ; 
but on the 13tli of June in the following year my companion 
again visited the island, and had those of the herring-gull, razor- 
bill, guillemot, cormorant, and oystercatcher brought up, all of 
which are there considered good for eating.* The egg-gatherers 
told me that they take six kinds of eggs ; — perhaps those of the 
kittiwake, in addition to the five already named. 
THE LESSEE BLACK-BACKED GULL. 
Larus fnscus, Linn. 
„ flavipes , Meyer and Wolf. 
Is found around the coast, at inland lakes, &c., and is 
resident. 
This species is met with in very limited numbers about our more 
northern coast, where it has chiefly come under my observation, 
and at no marine locality am I aware of its being more than spar- 
ingly scattered. Compared with the herring-gull it is very scarce. 
I have only known it to frequent the grandest of the breeding- 
haunts of that bird, and these in very limited numbers. At the 
Gobbins, where several hundreds of the herring-gulls nidify, 
two pair of this species bred in 1830, and a man well acquainted 
with the birds frequenting this range of rocks, stated that never 
more than one or two pair bred there. During a walk along the 
top of the cliffs in June 1834, I saw but one of these birds (an 
adult), though hundreds of the herring-gulls appeared. Ornitho- 
logists visiting those rocks, in June 1847, saw about six pair of 
round Scotland and the Isles/ Several men lowered over the cliffs there at the 
same time were observed from the sea. 
* Eggs of the herring-gull, razorbill, and guillemot were exposed for sale in 
Dublin in 1848, and sold for twopence each. 
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