40 THE BIRD WATCHER 
and the other in their, the latter uses its feet 
only, with effects that are irritating rather than to be 
feared. Now why is this, and what causes the differ- 
ence in this respect as between gull and tern? From 
my own observation I think I can explain it. So 
long as two contending gulls fight with any equality, 
they do so upon the ground, but when one of them 
can no longer hold his own there, he rises into the air 
and, sweeping backwards and forwards over the other, 
who stays where he was, annoys him in this particular 
way. The bird, therefore, by whom these tactics are 
resorted to has already got the worst of it, and the 
last thing he wishes is again to close with a rival who 
has defeated him. This, however, is exactly what 
would happen were he to use his hooked beak in the 
manner proper to it, for it is adapted for seizing and 
tearing, and to these uses it has hitherto been put. To 
peck or stab with it would be like making a thrust 
with a sickle, and though possibly as against a weaker 
antagonist it might be made effectual in some other 
than the normal way, yet here there is always the fear 
of detention, to check any experiment of the sort. 
Let the hooked tip but pierce the skin to any extent, 
and the swoop would be checked sufficiently to allow 
of the flying bird’s being seized. The feet, therefore, 
though without efficient claws and quite unadapted to 
anything except swimming, are employed by prefer- 
ence, and in the manner in which they are used we 
see the same principle at work, for instead of making 
any attempt at grasping or scratching, the flying gull, 
