BIRDS IN THE CALENDAR 



most expert diver of them all, though in no 

 sense at home under water like the shag. 

 I have often, when at anchor ten or fifteen 

 miles from the land, and attended by the 

 usual convoy of seabirds that invariably 

 gather round fishing-boats, amused myself by 

 throwing scraps of fish to them and watching 

 the gulls do their best to plunge below the 

 surface when some coveted morsel was going 

 down into the depths, and now and again a 

 little Roman-nose puffin would dive headlong 

 and snatch the prize from under the gulls' 

 eyes. Most of the birds were fearless enough ; 

 only an occasional " saddleback " the 

 greater black-backed gull of the text-books 

 knowing the hand of man to be against it for 

 its raids on game and poultry, would keep at 

 a respectful distance. 



Considered economically, the smaller gulls 

 at any rate have more friends than enemies, 

 and they owe most of the latter not so much 

 to their appetites, which set more store by 

 offal and carrion than by anything of greater 

 value, as to their exceedingly dirty habits. 

 These unclean fowl are in fact anything but 

 welcome in harbours given over in summer 

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