193 



HARDWICKE'S SC 1ENCE- GOSSIP. 



out neatly a second time. Glycerine is the best 

 medium in which to mount it, but no cell is neces- 

 sary, and the thinnest covering glass should be used, 

 to admit of examination with the highest powers. 



I hope these few hints towards -preparing speci- 

 mens may induce others to take up the subject, and 

 give us the benefit of their observations in Science- 

 Gossip. 



Oxford. H. M. J. Underbill. 



THE PIRATE-BIRDS OE THE NORTHERN 



SEAS. 



AWAY across the vast expanse of waters that 

 roll perpetually throughout the dreary region 

 extending from the desolate shores of Iceland to 

 the neighbourhood of the Western Islands, the Arc- 

 tic Gull may frequently be discerned gliding, with 

 arrow-like rapidity, through the air. The spectator 

 of his dashing movements stands in admiration 

 thereat ; while the dull, yet lustrous whiteness of 

 his breast contrasts with the greyish-blueness of 

 the sea. Few would surmise the deed which is 

 being perpetrated by the bird, or believe that this 

 interesting creature could be guilty of that which, 

 if laid at the door of a human being, would be re- 

 garded as a gross sin. Nevertheless, our gull com- 

 monly exhibits a predilection to convert the property 

 of his neighbour to his own use, thereby exhibiting 

 a practical illustration of the maxim " Might is 

 right." As he wheels about, or dashes briskly 

 through the air, he is frequently observed to sud- 

 denly pounce down upon some unfortunate member 

 -of that voracious band of gannets, gulls, terns, 

 &c, which at certain seasons of the year assiduously 

 attend upon the herring-shoals, then prevalent, and 

 forcibly compel it to relinquish the prey just cap- 

 tured. What a strange provision of nature ! one 

 might exclaim. Why may not the bird provide 

 himself with his own appropriate sustenance, and 

 not seek to deprive his neighbours of their honestly 

 obtained reward ? The bird relies confidently upon 

 the competency of his physical endowments, and 

 upon seeing tempting food in the mouth of another 

 species, he elects to seize and possess himself of 

 it, rather than to trouble himself about procuring it 

 otherwise. The body of these birds is constituted of 

 stronger materials, and furnished with more power- 

 ful and adequate predatory implements (beak, claws, 

 &c.) than other members of the great family of 

 the Laridce. An extensive endowment of vital 

 energy, and a personally acquired experience, doubt- 

 less co-operate therewith in the production of this 

 steady, unblushing confidence. It may be, that 

 this bird discharges the office of a natural corrective, 

 or restriction upon what might prove dangerous 

 appetites, or "gourmandish" propensities. We 



have heard it propounded that the actions of the 

 lower animals may nearly all be referred to the 

 class denominated sensori-motor ; and if so, then 

 we may presume that the attraction generated by 

 the sight of the bait above indicated inevitably 

 produces the action of seizure thereof. 



The genus Lestris comprises almost the whole of 

 the piratical sea-birds of the Northern Seas. This 

 genus is distinguished from the other genera of the 

 sub-family Laridaz by the generally stronger and 

 more compact build of the animals it compiehends ; 

 by their possession of a stout, hard, cylindrical, 

 very compressed, serrated and hooked bill; by their 

 tarsi being long, and marked above the knee, and 

 by their feet being covered with rough scales (en- 

 tirely palmated), having very large hooked nails. 

 The tail, moreover, is slightly rounded, and the 

 first quill-feather of the wings is the longest. If 

 we compare this list of characteristics with those 

 commonly recoguized as typical of the more terrible 

 Raptores, we shall observe manifold points of ana- 

 logy between them. A resemblance, moreover, 

 holds with respect to the character of their food; 

 for any animal substance seems to be equally 

 intensely relished by both parties. As an illustra- 

 tion of this carnivorous proclivity on the part of 

 the Gull, we may cite the fact, that Mr. Richards, 

 of H.M.S. Hecla, saw, in the year 1823, an Arctic 

 gull feeding upon the remains of some young 

 children, whose graves had been demolished by a 

 thaw. 



A few species of the great genus Larus may also 

 be adduced as illustrations of birds specially ad- 

 dicted to the piratical mode of warfare already 

 mentioned. In particular, the great Black-backed 

 Gull {Larus marinus) has been frequently noted 

 for its habit of closely watching the lesser gulls, 

 in order to appropriate to itself whatever edible 

 booty they may happen to have captured. Ihis is 

 a noble bird ; but as it is observed more frequently 

 along the coast than in the midst of the ocean, a 

 particular description of its characteristic marks 

 scarcely comes within the limits of my subject. I 

 may, however, mention that in addition to its 

 enlarged size, it possesses a strong, straight, in- 

 curved bill ; that its legs are placed near the centre 

 of the body; and that its volatile apparatus is 

 powerful and well-developed. 



I may observe, that great vagueness and con- 

 fusion have been introduced into the science of orni- 

 thology by reason of an absence therefrom of any 

 systematic method of investigation upon its subject- 

 matter. Sea-birds are especially liable to variation 

 in respect of colour, plumage, &c, according as 

 the span of their vital existence has been short, 

 medium, or long. A naturalist, who at one period 

 observes a certain bird while it is very young, and 

 baptizes it with a certain name {e.g. Larus tksvius), 

 may, while inspecting that identical bird when it is 



