146 Short Communications : — 



retaliated by biting the baker's finger, and that so sharply 

 that a copious flow of blood followed ; and, while the baker 

 danced about with pain, Ralph seemed to chuckle over his 

 triumph, and, as if in derision, frequently exclaimed, " What 's 

 the matter with you ? " In some mad freak, the ostler gilded 

 poor Ralph's beak, and the bird, not relishing the painful 

 reflection, in his endeavours to scratch off the gilding, so 

 injured his eyes that blindness ensued. Before this event, 

 Ralph would take an occasional excursion to his wild com- 

 panions, and as constantly return, sometimes accompanied 

 with one or two others, whom he had invited to his domicile 

 at the inn. Poor Ralph, like JEsop's raven, was not without 

 his share of vanity, as he seemed to take pleasure in display- 

 ing his oratorical powers before strangers. 



The history of Ralph the Gull, though he could not 

 speak with human voice, is not less interesting as an ornitho- 

 logical anecdote. It is now many years since I saw this bird. 

 Downes told me he had been a regular visitant for fourteen 

 years. To him, Ralph was tame, but wild to the rest of the 

 family. The return of the bird for his periodical meals, 

 received from the hand of the landlord, was as measured in 

 point of time as if Ralph had kept a chronometer, and this 

 diurnal visit would be maintained, con amore [friendlily], for 

 months together. Sometimes this gull would be an absentee 

 for weeks at intervals ; and, at these periods, he was dis- 

 covered to be on a visit to an individual who occupied a 

 small farm on that off-set islet called the Calf of Man. I 

 have frequently seen Ralph adventure himself into the inn to 

 be fed by Downes, and then return to his oceanic feathered 

 friends. The subject of our narrative, however, was a mono- 

 polist, as he always returned singly; or, perhaps, his re- 

 presentations were not believed, or not relished, by his 

 companions. If Mr. Downes were absent from his house, 

 Ralph, after repairing to the inn and reconnoitring, would 

 fly off to the landlord's garden, at a small distance from 

 Castleton, and the situation of which he was perfectly ac- 

 quainted with. Occasionally, Ralph's excursions in pursuit 

 of his master were predatory, as he did not scruple to pounce 

 upon and chuckle up an unfledged chicken now and then, 

 by the way, unmindful of the maledictions of some frugal 

 housewife. The interview between Downes and his feathered 

 friend, on his return after an occasional absence of some 

 days (for Ralph the Gull was a voyager), was really amus- 

 ing. Ralph would suffer himself to be caressed on the 

 plumage, and then clap his wings by way of rejoicing. 

 Downes would begiu the apparent conversation with " Now, 



