io8 JUNGLE FOLK 



not be appreciated unless witnessed. Feathers flew 

 in all directions ; the cawing and screaming were 

 almost deafening. It was a genuine fight. At first it 

 took place in mid-air, but soon the combatants came 

 to the ground, and then the struggle centred in and 

 around a fairly large hillock. Just as the gulls appeared 

 to be gaining the upper hand, the report of a gun broke 

 up the fight." 



The diet of the kites of the sea is not confined to 

 small things. ** A son of the marshes " states that 

 he has seen them feeding with hooded crows on the 

 carcases of moorland sheep. In the British Isles gulls 

 frequently follow the plough and greedily seize the 

 worms and grubs turned up in the furrow. In London 

 and Dublin, and probably in other places, gulls have 

 taken up their residence in the parks, where they feed 

 largely on the bread thrown to the ornamental water- 

 fowl, seizing it in the air before it reaches the ducks. 

 So tame do these gulls become that they will almost 

 take bread from the hands of children. Many people 

 labour under the delusion that these gulls are domesti- 

 cated ones kept by the authorities along with the 

 ducks and swans. 



Of late years a large colony of gulls has established 

 itself on the Thames opposite the Temple. These now 

 form one of the sights of London. The townsfolk take 

 so much interest in the graceful birds that some in- 

 dividuals earn a living by selling on the Embankment 

 small baskets of little fish which passers-by purchase 

 in order to throw to the screaming gulls that hover 

 around expectantly. 



