COMMON GULL. 24I 



LARUS CANUS— Common Gull. 



White bird of the tempest ! O beautiful thing, 

 With thy bosom of snow and thy motionless wing, 

 Now sweeping the billows, now floating' on high. 

 Now bathing thy plumes in the light of the sky ; 

 Now poising o'er ocean thy delicate form, 

 Now breasting the surge, with thy bosom so warm. 



Like a pure spirit, true to its virtue and faith, 

 'Mid the tempest of nature, of passion, and death. 



Gerald Griffin. 



The whole tribe of Gulls give a life and interest to the sea- 

 coasts that is ever fresh and charming, and their graceful white 

 forms reflected against a dark cloud, or the deep green back-ground 

 of the water, add much grace and beauty to the scene. They are 

 very expert on the wing, and fly with lightness and ease ; they are 

 equally at home on the land or on the water, and rise and fall on 

 the waves with pleasurable freedom ; whilst their cries, now loud 

 and near, and now afar off, as the wind or distance affects them, 

 give an additional interest to their presence. The poetical allusions 

 to them are therefore numerous, although the poets may not always 

 be naturalists. 



Graceful Sea-gulls, plumed in snowy white, 

 Follow'd the creaming furrow of the prow 

 With easy pinion, pleasurably slow. 



Mackay — Legends of the Isle. 



And clouds of Sea-fowl high in ether sweep. 

 Or fall like stars through sunshine on the deep. 



Montgomery— (rreen?anc?. 



The grey host 

 Of wide-winged Sea-mews in their gyrous flight. 

 Oft intermingling, and repeating oft 

 Sounds, which the distant inexperienc'd ear, 

 Might deem the cry of eager hounds remote. 



HuRDis— T/ie Favorite Village. 



The Sea-gulls hovering, milky-white, 

 Display their pinions to the light, 

 And dart and wheel with sudden cry, 

 Or drop like snowflakes from the sky. 



'M.ACKAX— Shoal of Whales. 



But beautiful and interesting as they are, they are yet but 

 "scavengers of nature." They are the most voracious creatures, and 

 practically omnivorous. They will eat anything they fall in with, 

 from corn to carrion ; fish alive or dead, or any animal cast up by 

 the tide. 



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