1895-9^-] Gossip about Gulls. 167 



whole colony of terns into active hostility. By their bold and 

 bewilderingly sudden action they will knock the audacity out 

 of the fiercest robber on wings. We used to look out for the 

 terns in spring, and it was a joy indeed when on swallow wings 

 this fairy cloud of sea-birds returned to us, speaking cheerily 

 of bright days in store. They prolong the happy hours of 

 courtship beyond what any more sober-minded gull considers 

 proper, and they do not settle down to matrimony and its 

 cares till midsummer, when all their cousins have been at 

 housekeeping for some time. Somehow, things turn out as 

 well for the happy-go-lucky piccatauries as for others. Their 

 babies grow up very fast, and are off on their " own hook " long- 

 before the older and more dependent scories have ceased to 

 run after their mammies crying " plee ! plee ! " 



I ought not to finish this gossip without reference to the 

 glaucus or Iceland gull, which my father had the honour of 

 introducing to the world as a British bird. He is a large and 

 lordly bird, of equable disposition, retiring habits, and impres- 

 sive personality. He does not often permit himself to be made 

 the object of close scrutiny. He holds aloof from the other 

 orders of his family, but is affable enough to his own blood 

 relations. 



As the glaucus does not often visit Shetland for the same 

 reason that other sea-birds visit it — no nest or fledgling of his 

 having been found there — I imagine he comes from Iceland 

 in the character of an explorer or scientist. He is not on 

 Viking deeds intent — that profession belongs to his cousin, 

 the skua, who is the beau-iddal of an old Norse rover. Some 

 people think that the glaucus is a stupid bird, but there is no 

 ground for such a theory beyond the fact that he is not sus- 

 picious, looking for a foe in every being he sees, and he is 

 not a bully. He goes his own way and meddles with no one ; 

 he is not talkative or demonstrative, but quite willing to dwell 

 in peace with whoever crosses his path. Our brother tried to 

 tame a glaucus, but he was a mature bird, and resented being- 

 trapped. Possibly if one could procure a young glaucus be- 

 fore it leaves the nest it would become as tame as any of its 

 genus. 



There is a general idea that gulls are — on the whole — 

 stupid birds. So far has this belief gone, that we have coined 



