The Endurance of Birds. 97 



tame, and always up to sjoniething fresh and amusing with his 

 inquiring mind. May he spend many years at Nash and live 

 to a ripe old age ! 



As a species the Herring Gull is abundant all round 

 the coast of Great Britain. It is a bird of large size, measur- 

 ing about 24 inches in length, and is extremely handsome when 

 it assumes its adult plumag*-. which may be described as 

 follows; Head and neck white; bill yellow with orange spot 

 on lower mandible; back and part of wings, light grey; 

 quills blackish tipped with white; breast and belly pure white. 

 Legs and feet flesh colour. The immature Herring Ciull has 

 the imottled plumage comjnon to all young Gulls. The nest 

 is to be found on cliffs, and on low^ rocky islands, such as 

 the Fames, off the coast of Northumberland. The eggs 2 — 3 

 in number, vary a good deal in colour from olive green to 

 brown, splotched and marked with dark brown and grey. 

 May and June are the months when incubation commences, 

 and during tlicse months and July, a visit to any place where 

 they breed numerously is a deafening experience owing to 

 their shrill screams and noisy cries. Ihe herring gull cannot 

 be regarded with affection by other birds, as it is an invet- 

 erate egg stealer, and takes any and every opportunity to 

 obtain its ill-gotten meal. 



In captivity it is quite easy to cater for. It will 

 feed on any kind of scraps from the table, but the favourite 

 and fnost suitable diet is undoubtedly hsh. It is, especially 

 when in full adult plumage, a fine and striking bird on a 

 lawn, but according to my experience, seldom becoming really 

 tame. "Ari" is an exception which proves the rule. I 

 never met another of his species to be compared with him, 

 and don't suppose 1 ever shall. " Here's to you, ' Ari,' 

 dear ! " 



The Endurance of Birds. 



Bv \\ i.M.LV 1. I'.\c;i., 1- .Z.b, Etc. 

 {Continued Irani page 2,1). 



A ralhei unfortunate printer s error occurred in last 

 instalment— line 17 of page 33 reading: "aviaries, some of 



