FOR CAGES AISD A VI ARIES. 93 



other: this causes them to resist the action of the wind, 

 which merely turns them round and round without blowing 

 them from the slight depressions where they have been 

 laid. The general colour of the Guillemot is dull black 

 above and snowy white on the under surface, with a broad 

 white curved Hne across the wing. The bill is dark grey. 



THE GULLS. 



There is no difficulty in keeping these birds in confine- 

 ment, pinioned (which must be done before the bones 

 of the wings have become ossified) and running about 

 either in a garden or an enclosure in a garden, or they 

 may be kept in an aviary of large size furnished with a 

 pond and suitable rocks of artificial construction, in which 

 case they will appear to much greater advantage than in a 

 place of smaller dimensions, or with their natural movements 

 hampered. 



The Gullery, however, must not be overcrowded, and 

 it will be as well not to trust the smaller with the larger 

 species, for these birds are pugnacious and tyrannical and 

 the weaker would be sure to suffer. The enclosure must 

 be of considerable size if it is to contain many birds, for 

 owing to their food and the large quantity of it they con- 

 sume, the copious white excretions would speedily make 

 it objectionable to sight and smell: therefore the hose must 

 be freely used, and the pond must have a cemented bottom 

 so that it may be readily emptied and cleansed from time 

 to time. 



Many of the Gulls will breed in confinement and hybrids 

 are not unfrequently produced between different but allied 

 speeies; however these are only noticeable as curiosities 

 for they are barren and the cross cannot be perpetuated, 

 as it can when occurring between varieties of the same 

 species. 



In the matter of feeding the Gulls are accommodating, 

 all being fish that comes to their net. 



