1 8 Our Bird Friends. 



down feeding tliem one day, when a lady stopped 

 and asked nie wdiat they were. " Black-headed 

 Gulls, madam,"' I answered. 



" How absurd 1 " she exclaimed. " Why, their 

 heads are white ! " 



*' Quite rio'ht;"' I replied; "but they were chris- 

 tened in sunnner when they are black, or, to be more 

 precise, a very dark brown.' 



In the early spring the birds all took their depar- 

 ture on breedino' duties intent, but directly food 

 l)eo'an to otow scarce in the North Sea the folio win o' 

 autumn, they said to each other, " Let us away and 

 see our friends in London." This has now become 

 a hxed habit with them, and besides earning a good 

 living for themselves they have helped at least one 

 poor man to gain his daily bread. He buys a sackful 

 of sprats every morning, and, standing on the Em- 

 bankment, doles out the fish all day long. For the 

 amusement of the crowd of spectators, he lets the 

 birds take their food oft' his head, or out of his 

 hand, or throws it to them to catch it in mid- 

 air like Swallows. Just fancy the dexterity of a 

 bird that can catch and hold a slippery little 

 sprat sent twirling through the air like a glint of 

 sunshine I 



Well, the same hard winter made Scottish Sea 

 Gulls try turnips as food, and they liked the vegetable 

 so much that they have continued the habit. They 

 have also started eatinof corn standimr in the fields, 

 and if they keep on invading farm produce in this 



