600 BIRDS OF .SOMERSETSHIRE. 
edge, on the face of the frowning precipice, and on 
the top of the dizzy cliff, amongst sedgy grass, upon 
the cold rock, and amongst the green samphire or 
the crisp ling: it is composed of grasses, ling, dry 
sea-weed and other floating rubbish, turf and various 
other dry substances. The scattered stones of an 
old ruined stone wall also seem a favourite nesting- 
place. 
The Common Gull, like the Blackheaded, feeds 
more about the mouths of harbours and in tidal 
rivers than the Kittiwake: it is consequently less 
partial to a merely fish diet, but eats nearly anything 
than comes within its reach, devouring greedily bis- 
cuit, bread, fat, mess pork, oil and tallow, but its 
favourite food seems to be oil or grease, in obtaining 
which it shows the greatest perseverance and in- 
genuity.* It also occasionally feeds inland upon 
imsects, worms and grubs. 
Like other Gulls this bird takes a long time 
arriving at maturity, quite four years, during which 
time it goes through many changes of plumage: all 
these changes are accurately pointed out by Mr. 
Blake-Knox, in the ‘ Zoologist’ for 1868 (Second 
Series, p. 1075): according to this paper, the first 
summer plumage after the down is as follows :— 
* The head and neck are white, spotted with brown ; 
the upper surface of the body and wings, except the 
* § Zoologist’ for 1867 (Second Series, p. 625). 
