BIRDS OF THE WAVE AND WOODLAND i8i 



watchman waiting- for some incautious mother to leave her 

 eggs exposed, and in a twinkHng the thief pounces on it. 



Their courage, too, is extraordinary. The nest that is shown 

 in the illustration is not in any of the usual sites that this 

 o-ull selects, and is chosen for that reason, as showinQ- the 

 fearlessness of these birds, for it is built in a sheep-walk 

 which the woolly folk had frequently to traverse, and was 

 found out by the shepherd seeing all his flock, as they 

 passed in single file, jumping at the same spot. On going 

 to find the reason for this agility, the hen-bird was discovered 

 sitting on her eofo-s. 



Of all the gulls, this is perhaps the least of a sea-bird. 

 For it lives almost altogether on land, searching the beach 

 and rocks for dead fish and other food cast up by the tide, 

 and boldly coming inland to feed in ploughed lands, or follow 

 the course of rivers, or pick up a living in harbours and 

 docks, going back to the water to rest and sleep. Very 

 different is the scene when the visitor, landino- on one of 

 their breeding-rocks or islands, disturbs the hosts of the 

 lesser black-backed orulls, to that when he landed amono- the 

 uncomplaining puffins. For the gulls resent the intrusion 

 with wild cries and threats, and, instead of flying away, 

 patiently disconsolate, to wait for the intruders' departure, 

 wheel and whirl overhead, with angry clamour and noisy 

 wings, making believe to swoop down on the trespassers, 

 and shouting at them to go away. And they have good 



