COMMON GULL. 453 



the Thames, this Gull is to be seen throughout the year on 

 the sandy flats and bars, picking up as food any refuse 

 animal matter the tide may bring ; occasionally taking its 

 flight to survey the line of the slack and shallow water near 

 the shore, hovering in its search to be certain of its object, 

 and picking up from the surface of the water small fishes, or 

 other floating substance, to satisfy its appetite. This bird 

 frequently, also, goes some miles inland to follow a plough in 

 search of insects and grubs. Here also, as well as on other 

 parts of the coast which are flat, the Common Gull breeds in 

 marshes, or on flat islands, while in other districts to be 

 hereafter named, it breeds on high rocks. They frequent- 

 ly follow the course of a river for many miles up from the 

 sea ; Mr. Jesse notices one that was shot in winter on the 

 Mole, near Hampton Court. The Common Gull, in confine- 

 ment, will feed on pieces of bread ; some kept by Colonel 

 Montagu would pick up grain when not supplied with fish or 

 worms, and one bird of this species, kept by John Hunter, 

 was brought by degrees to live entirely on corn. The sto- 

 mach of this bird was examined after death, and the mus- 

 cular parietes were found to be thickened. The preparation 

 is preserved in the Museum of the Royal College of Sur- 

 geons. A female in the possession of Dr. Thackeray, the 

 Provost of King's College, Cambridge, which bird is still 

 living in the garden of the College, has, for several seasons 

 following, laid one or more eggs, two of which, by the kind- 

 ness of the Provost, are now in my own collection. 



The Common Gull in a wild state, makes rather a large 

 nest, "whether on marsh or rock, of sea-weeds and grass, and 

 lays two or three eggs of a dark olive-brown, spotted with 

 darker brown and black ; the length two inches and a quarter, 

 by one inch and a half in breadth. The eggs produced by 

 Dr. Thackeray ""s bird were perfectly similar both as to size 

 and colour. 



