66 The Story of a Black-headed Gull. 



with true affection for his tameness, and for the curious and 

 most interesting study he afiforded. Dear little Barred-head! 

 Black-headed (iulls arc well known, and in the winter visit 

 the bridges which cross the Thames in London, and also in 

 St. James' Park in large numbers. They become very tame 

 and will even seize scraps of food from a person's outstretched 

 fingers. If a scrap of food is thrown into the air it is dex- 

 terously caught before it reaches the water. Their flight is 

 very graceful and it is a fine sight to see them gliding and 

 'swooping around. In early spring these Gulls repair to their 

 breeding situations, which are usually found in marshy places, 

 often far from the sea. They are sociable birds and are 

 found breeding in colonies. Three eggs are usually laid — 

 sometimes four, and incubation begins about the first week 

 in May. Tho eggs are frequently gathered and eaten and 

 no doubt they are xery palatable and welcome to the people 

 who live near the galleries. Many colonies breed in Moorland 

 districts m the north of England and Scotland, and are said to 

 destroy Grouse eggs, but the last accusation is very doubtful. 

 They undoubtedly eat large cjuantities of insects and other 

 harmful pests, and must do a considerable amount of good in 

 this way. I often watched Barred h a.l c.-.c/getically employed 

 in catching them on the lawn. His little feet positively 

 "twinkled" during his quick rushes, then a sudden "snap" 

 and a fly, giiat or other pest had departed this life. 



When I see a Black-headed Gull it invariably recalls 

 tender, regretful, memories of the spotlessly clean little Barred- 

 Head, who endeared himself to everybody by his' quaint char- 

 acteristics. You see I can't keep away from him in this 

 article; even when I make a determined effort to talk abouf 

 Gulls in general I find myself again specialising in Barred - 

 head in particular. Anyway this is a story about him, isn't it.-^ 

 So he deserves the major part — and has it I A Seagull is at 

 all times a beautiful creature, but never so much so, as when on 

 the \\ing. As I conclude these notes the following linos 

 occur to me. They are wonderfully descriptive of a SeagulTs 

 flight: 



*■ \\ lid wave- wanderer, 

 Precipice- ponderer, 



