550 THE BIRDS OF HELIGOLAND 



and then, after making a short and rapid turn, will glide down 

 towards the latter in an oblique direction. It is only when in the 

 act of picking up its find, and during the next following moment, 

 that the bird executes a few not excessively powerful beats of the 

 wings, after which it makes a small turn, and, rising to its former 

 height of fi'oni ten to twenty feet, continues anew its soaring flight. 



During a heavy storm these large gulls soar about at heights of 

 at least a thousand feet, as calmly and with the same demeanour 

 as in the most perfect calm. For hours long, as in the calmest 

 sunshine, they may be seen at such times gliding along on hori- 

 zontally expanded wings ; it seems to make no difference to them 

 whether they travel with or against the wind, or whether their 

 flight carries them forwards, or sideways, or in circles. At one 

 time they may be seen soaring quite slowly to and fro, at another 

 dashing with stormy haste toward some object sighted in the 

 distance ; very frequently they will remain poised motionless at 

 one spot almost for the space of minutes ; all these movements 

 and turns, including the last, being performed with the body placed 

 horizontally and the wings expanded in the same position. Many 

 an enjoyable hour have I spent in watching the performances of 

 these wonderful flyers, and, indeed, the whole of bird-life probably 

 presents no sight more charming and graceful than the soaring 

 flight of these snow-white scourers of the deep. 



Herring Gulls, if reared quite J'oung, become extraordinarily 

 tame. Heligolanders have, in fact, in rej^eated instances proceeded 

 so far in the process of taming these bii-ds, that such individuals 

 Avould, while flying about in company of their wild relatives, at 

 once return to the whistle of their master. One of our shooters 

 made use of this docile act on the part of the birds for purposes of 

 sport. He used to take his gull up to the cliff and throw it up in 

 the air as soon as any wild gulls came in sight. The tame bird 

 would inunediately join the latter, and soar about with them, but 

 return at once to his master's whistle, followed by the wild birds, 

 one or two of which would then, without much trouble, fall to our 

 sportsman's gun. One day when this gunner was accompanied 

 on one of his expeditions by another very good marksman, Jan 

 Aeuckens, his gull returned in the before-mentioned manner, 

 accompanied by four wild birds ; four rapid shots brought down 

 the whole group of the latter. This piece of wholesale slaughter, 

 however, so terrified the tame bird that it darted down like a falcon 

 with wings drawn up against its body, and lay down cowering 

 between the feet of its mastei\ 



Up to within about eighty years ago, this species used to 

 breed on the rocks and on the dune. It was then forbidden 



