NOTES ON THE BLACK-HEADED GULL.
121
But whether owing to a subsequent and more rapid sub-
mergence of the land, or owing to the persecutions of egg
collectors and others, this custom was abandoned by the gulls,
it is certain that just now they are reverting to their former
instincts.
Such is the case, for instance, in Hamford Water, where, as
I have previously noted,1 of late years a large and flourishing
colony of Black-Headed Gulls seems to have permanently estab-
lished itself.
In the summer of 1901 I found that the gulls had settled
their nursery on much the same stretch of saltings as they had
done the year before, but this time to the west of the creek
leading to the hard on Horsey Island, instead of to the East of it,
and paying a visit there on June 6th last I soon discovered about
30 nests, most of them containing three eggs.
The little islets in the muddy creeks were especially
patronised, and were beyond my reach, but the nests I came
across elsewhere were all, as usual, among the thick weeds and
grass at the highest point of the saltings, and were of the low
and scanty construction which I have previously described. I
calculated that there were about 100 birds flying around, much
the same numbers as in 1900.
At the hard on the island close by I met a farmer's boy who
asked me if there were any birds breeding on the saltings, and
informed me he had never yet seen a gull's egg ; a remark which
I considered very satisfactory, though I rejoined that if ever he
did happen to do so, it was penal to remove it.
From Hamford Waters I sailed the next day, June 7th, to
the Colne, and on the St. Osyth Marshes by "Bricclesea" I
found the Black-headed Gulls as busy and numerous as ever.
Here also there were about 100 birds wheeling overhead and
I soon discovered without any difficulty about 30 to 40 nests ;
indeed the birds make no attempt at concealment, as the saltings
here are very open, entirely lacking even the slight protection
afforded by the denser growth of grass and herbage which
characterises Gullery No. 1,
Though early in the summer (I was a month sooner than
usual in my visit), there were several young birds just hatched in
Essex Naturalist, Vol. xi., p. 312, Mr. Clark's previous papers on the Essex Black-
Headed Gulls will be found in Vol. x., p. 388 and Vol. xi., p. 184.—Ed.