412 LARIDA 
from the tide. Considerable numbers in immature plumage 
remain on the coast throughout the summer: from July 
onward this Gull becomes exceedingly plentiful, as the 
parents and young, together with migrants travelling south- 
ward, congregate on the muddy slob-lands of our bays and 
estuaries, 
This bird shows a decided preference for low-lying shores 
and shallows. From the nature of its feeding-grounds it 
freely consorts with ‘ waders’ of all sizes, Dunlins, Plovers, 
Curlews, and others, and though squabbling occasionally 
takes place, the smaller companions remain uninjured. 
The Black-headed Gull constantly frequents the estuaries 
and quays of our city-rivers. Where not molested it becomes 
wonderfully tame. It little heeds the idle bystander staring 
at it from over the quay-walls, while on ornamental waters 
it will take up its abode among the water-fowl, become 
seml-domesticated, and live parasitically on the food pre- 
pared for the rightful feathered owners. Indeed, in severe 
weather, tame Ducks and Swans often suffer from the depri- 
vation of their food, which the Gulls, assembling in num- 
bers, snatch up and demolish at a surprisingly rapid rate. 
Recently, about a score of these Gulls have taken up their 
abode on the ornamental waters of St. Stephen’s Green, 
Dublin (Plate XLI., fig. 2). There I have seen them swim 
with the tame Ducks, feed with them, and even cautiously 
drift to the brink of the pond (amid a mixed assembly of 
water-fowl) to pick up pieces of bread cast within a few feet 
of where a crowd of people were assembled. 
In severe weather these sociable birds will congregate 
in the small gardens of suburban houses of our sea-port 
towns; I have seen them crowd round a plate of meal like 
so many hungry poultry, and almost as unconcerned of 
human presence. If fed regularly every morning during 
frost they become remarkably tame. I have kept them in 
captivity, have tamed them sufficiently to eat from out my 
hand, and to snap up pieces of meat thrown into the air. 
But though greedy, the Black-headed Gull, lke other 
members of its family, is a useful scavenger. Hundreds 
of these fair-plumed birds may be seen daintily picking 
their steps, as though mindful not to soil their unsullied 
plumes, on the black, shmy ooze, bubbling with putrefactive 
gases emanating from submerged decaying matter. Their 
white forms float gently on the sluggish tidal river, on 
water, dark, oily, foul-smelling, and charged with highly 
