WESTERN SILVER GULL. 
aU he had left from some three dozen eggs he had taken from a small rocky 
islet in the Lake (salt water) on April 2nd by means of a boat, and his station 
hands had eaten the remainder. 
“ After a long continuation of heavy southerly gales at Point Gloates 
in December, 1899, I noticed that these Gulls forsook the beach for a few 
days, to feed eagerly on beetles, etc., caught in the spinifex some miles inland. 
They became very tame about the house and native camps, and were good 
scavengers of refuse.” 
Mr. F. Lawson,* writing from Rottnest Island, notes: “This was the 
common Gull on the Island. Nearly all I saw were adults. On one httle 
islet I found half a dozen empty nests, and one half-grown young one 
crouching in the vegetation growing in the clefts of the rocks.” 
Mr. A. J. CampbeUt says this Gull is a rare thief, and he witnessed their 
plundering the Noddy Terns of their eggs : “ The Gulls also rob these 
peaceful birds after the Noddies have returned from a fishing cruise, when 
the contents of their stomachs are just ‘ dished ’ on the edge of the nest for 
their mates or young. 
“ Silver Sea Gull always arrest attention with their comely forms and 
buoyant flight, and by being associated with our inter-colonial sea voyages. 
They will hover right over the taffrail of the travelling steamer in hopes of 
some morsels being thrown overboard. Presently the watcher observes a 
noisy bunch of graceful white forms, varied with black splashed pinions, 
and extended blood-red legs, left astern, disputing for a half-eaten fowl from 
the saloon table, that an unthrifty steward has heaved over the side.” 
As long ago as 1876 the present bird was carefully characterised as here 
detailed. 
In the Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W., Vol. II., p. 113, 1876, Masters wrote as 
follows : — 
“ On Bruchigavia longirostris, a New Species of Gull, from King George’s 
Sound. 
“ A collection of birds received from King George’s Sound by Mr. 
Macleay contained two Gulls, of the subgenus Bruchigavia, one being fully 
adult, the other immature or young. At first sight they appeared to be 
identical with our common Silver GuU, Bruchigavia Jamesonii (Wilson), but 
upon comparison I find them to be very distinct from that species. Having 
carefully gone over the descriptions and measurements of aU the New Zealand 
species, and compared it with various kinds from other parts of the world, 
* Emu, Vol. IV., p. 132, 1905. 
•f Nests and Eggs Austr. Birds, p. 861, 1901. 
VOL. n. 
469 
