55 i PALMIPEDES. 



They may be seen in winter associating witli Rooks 

 and Crows, searching for worms and insects, fre- 

 quently at a great distance from the sea. The whole 

 race is proverbially gluttonous, frequently taking 

 so much food as not to be able to fly till they have 

 disgorged part of their repast ; this, indeed, they 

 will readily do when alarmed, and frequently when 

 slightly wounded. The nest of the Gulls is formed 

 of sea-weed, at the distance of a few feet from the 

 water, and is mostly placed on a shelving rock. 



This family includes the Gulls proper, the Skim- 

 mers, and the Terns. 



