LARID. 607 
the Herring Gulls, like the other sea-birds, suffer 
great persecution, and are ruthlessly slaughtered by 
hundreds, partly as a matter of trade, many of them 
being killed to procure feathers for ladies’ hats and 
muffs, and partly by cockney sportsmen, to whom a 
young Gull standing on his ledge of rock, and not 
yet able to fly off, presents a mark which may be hit 
without much hard work, and in both these ways the 
young birds and the old ones who are engaged in 
feeding them get killed up. I hope the Act recently 
passed, and to which reference has previously been 
made, will be effectual in securing for the poor birds 
a little respite during the breeding season. 
The nest of the Herring Gull is placed on a ledge 
of the cliff or the flat top of an isolated crag, and is 
made of long grass and weeds. 
As to food the Herring Gull seems to be a 
most omnivorous fellow — probably herrings form 
the smallest part of his food. My tame ones feed 
indiscriminately on fish, flesh or fowl, rats and mice, 
small birds, young Ducks or Moorhens (if the mother 
is not near to protect them, for the Gulls have not 
the pluck to face an angry old Moorhen), Ducks’ 
eggs, worms, grubs, bread, potatoes, barley-meal, 
and occasionally, but very seldom, a few grains of 
barley. I have seen them catch rats nearly half- 
srown almost as dexterously as a terrier, give them 
a good grip at the back of the neck and throw them 
down hard on the gravel-walk: after two or three 
