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rears its young within a few hundred yards of the houses upon the sea 

 front. "Who has not watched the easy and graceful flight of this bird ? 

 now poised almost stationary in the air with outstretched wings ; then 

 with a few sharp flaps of them borne away at a tremendous rate of speed, 

 yet without any apparent exertion, anon circling round with downward 

 hung head scanning the waves from a great height for small particles 

 upon the water or pouncing upon some little fish when it sees one near 

 the surface. One can scarcely imagine the keenness of sight requisite for 

 thus obtaining its sustenance, and when we watch these birds attentively 

 we are further surprised to note that although provided with distinctly 

 webbed feet and capable at pleasure of resting upon the water for the 

 purpose of repose, yet a gull never voluntarily dives below the surface of 

 the water. The English name of Herring Gull is then, in a great 

 measure, a misnomer, for it is dependent either upon floating objects for 

 its food, or else obtains it from the sea shore, or the neighbouring land, 

 hence the large numbers which are seen at times following the plough. 

 Nothing indeed seems to come amiss, whether land vermin or shore 

 produce, and it is quite immaterial to the bird whether the flesh be live 

 or dead, fresh or putrid. The author had on one hand seen quite 

 a number surrounding and delighting in the bloated carcase of a dead 

 and certainly not inoffensive dog ; and on the other had known 

 a sea gull to be fed exclusively upon a diet of maize. From their 

 natural habits of life we may look upon the gulls as invaluable shore 

 scavengers, for were it not for these birds our beaches would be 

 sometimes strewn with decaying and offensive matter. 



After describing in detail the appearance of the Herring Gull, and 

 mentioning the fact that four years are required before the nestling 

 assumes the colored plumage of the adult bird, the author said that 

 during the winter months the birds were to be seen in all the intermediate 

 stages, according to age, up to the white and dove-colored old birds, but 

 as soon as these latter take to the cliffs for the purpose of breeding, the 

 immature birds leave this part of the coast. It is surmised that they 

 follow the shoals of fishes, and return again after the nesting is over. 



The flesh of a Herring Gull was described as being coarse and rank, 

 with a strong fishy flavor ; Mr. Gray had tried various ways of cooking 

 them without being able to overcome the bad taste, but he suggested 

 that the taste might perhaps be improved if the bird, in a tame 

 condition, were kept for a time entirely upon grain before being killed. 

 The eggs are palatable, and, as before mentioned, held in some esteem, 

 being little inferior to a tame duck's egg. 



"As regards the nesting places upon the cliffs, these are both the 

 narrow ledges or shelves, occasionally seen between and below the 

 various beds of which the chalk consists, and also the sloping surfaces of 

 the rock itself. To such situations the birds resort towards the end of 

 April, when they assemble in vast flocks, and make the air resound with 

 their peculiar and harsh cries. The cliffs between Dover and 



