268 THE BIRDS OF SUSSEX. 



an excellent opportunity of observing their notes, of wliicli 

 they have a considerable variety, at times resembling the 

 bark of a small dog, at others the mewing of a cat in 

 distress ; this is uttered with the neck stretched out hori- 

 zontally, close to the ground. It has also a note much 

 resembling the sharp cry of an Eagle ; the head and bill are 

 then pointed straight upward toward the sky, the bird 

 raising itself to its full height, and stretching up its neck to 

 its greatest length. It is very dexterous in catching insects, 

 both on and in the water as well as on the wing. It was 

 very amusing to watch these Gulls sitting round a Duck 

 whilst she was laying her egg, which was no sooner done than 

 one of them would stick his bill into it and run off, till one of 

 the others overtaking him, he would drop it, and it would 

 be seized by another, till the egg was broken, when there 

 was a general fight for the contents. This Gull breeds in 

 small numbers in the cliff near New haven. I am informed 

 by Mr, Bates, naturalist, Eastbourne, that it breeds also 

 on the cliff just to the westward of Belle Tout Lighthouse. 



LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL. 



Larusfiiscus. 



Mr. Knox calls this Gull far from common, and says that a 

 few breed at Newhaven ; I do not think it now breeds in 

 the county, and I doubt whether it does so anywhere on 

 the south coast. It is certainly not so numerous as 

 the Herring-Gull, and it spends the greater part of its 

 time further out at sea, where considerable flocks attend 

 the herring-boats, even pulling the fish out of the nets, and 

 being so troublesome that Mr. Booth tells us he has been 



