LARIDAE—GULLS.
267
another ; so that there are always a few pairs breeding in the old localities. I
certainly think they increased in numbers this year, but the Carrion Crows take
heavy toll from the outlying nests. I saw a Gull lying dead beside its nest
with a severe wound in its head, caused, no doubt, by a blow from the beak
of a Crow, who had sucked the eggs of the unfortunate bird. In 1889, a large
number of their eggs were taken and sold as ' Plover's ' eggs."
I have seldom or never spent a pleasanter day than June 12th, 1888, when
Mr. E. A. Fitch and myself visited the breeding-haunts of this bird, on the Old
Hall Marshes, Tollesbury. The first colony we reached was a small one on a
large marshy pool, with reedy banks, known as Joyce's Head Fleet. Upon this
we embarked in a boat with the keepers. At one end of the pool, was a large
assembly of Coots, numbering considerably over 100, and among the reeds we
saw several of their nests containing eggs. As we advanced we approached one
of the smaller nesting-colonies of the Black-headed Gulls, which was upon a
small, boggy island, some five or six yards across, and thickly overgrown with
rank nightshade. Here were about a dozen Gull's nests—substantial structures,
built of reed-stems outside, and lined with small tufts of grass. None were
placed actually upon the ground, but all were resting on the nightshade and
reeds. Several of the nests were empty, but others contained one egg each, and
one held two. They were only slightly incubated. While we were at them, the
old birds—locally known as " Cobs "—were very noisy overhead. Proceeding
further on to the marsh we visited a second and larger colony of Gulls which
were nesting in some reed-clumps about ten yards from the edge of another
pool known as Pennyhole Bottom. Here were about twenty-five nests, most of
them containing either one or two eggs, though several held none, and one three.
We reached them by wading, the water not being over eighteen inches deep.
They did not differ in any essential respect from those already described, and the
old birds, as before, were very noisy overhead while we remained at their nests.
The eggs are decidedly variable, the ground-colour ranging from greenish-olive
to dark russet-brown. We brought away several of the more curiously marked
as specimens. Close at hand was another large pool known as Pennyhole Fleet,
among the reeds on the edge of which, the keepers told us, about sixty pairs of
Gulls had built their nests earlier in the year, but had suddenly and unaccount-
ably deserted them before laying any eggs (50. iii. 188).
There can be no doubt that there were once many more nesting colonies of
the Black-headed Gull on the Essex coast than there are now. The names
Great Cob Island and Little Cob Island in Tollesbury Fleet, and Cob Marsh
Island at the entrance to Mersea Quarters, are evidences of the ancient tenure of
the Gulls in this locality. There is also a Cobb's Farm on the Goldhanger coast.
In addition to the Peewit Island in Handford Water, there is another island of
the same name between Mersea Creek and Parrock, and a third near Bradwell
Waterside on the Blackwater, from which baskets-full of Gull's eggs used to
be obtained within the memory of persons now living.
Yarrell says (25. iii. 551) : " These birds are abundant at the mouth of the
Thames, both in Kent and Essex, but the most so in the latter county, breeding
by hundreds on some of the low, flat islands on the coast, and in the marshes of
the interior." Morris repeats the same statement, almost word for word (27a.
vii. 153). More, in 1865, stated that (33. 454) there were then breeding-stations
in Essex, but Mr. Howard Saunders, in the last edition of Yarrell's Birth, says
(37. iii. 595) he knew of no breeding place in Essex, and in 1884 Mr. Harting
wrote (29. Feb. 16) that he knew of none south of the Stour. Probably it still
breeds in limited numbers on various other parts of the Essex coast.