286 SKETCHES OF BIRD LIFE. 



stances have been from time to time recorded. A 

 pair of these birds, which had recovered the use 

 of dipt wings in the Gardens just mentioned, for 

 several successive years took their departure in the 

 spring and returned again in autumn. Whether 

 they instinctively repaired to rear their young in 

 the meantime, it is impossible to determine ; but 

 this was not improbably the case. We have heard 

 of several instances in which tame birds of this 

 species flew at large for weeks and months, return- 

 ing at intervals to be fed by their owners. 



The cry of the Herring Gull is not unlike that 

 of the Common Gull, a sort of hoarse laugh or 

 cackle, sounding like "wa-agh-agh-agh" Sometimes 

 a barking cry is preceded by a prolonged squeal, 

 like "whee-e-e-kiark-kiark-kiark-kiark" and is gene- 

 rally uttered when they are frightened from the 

 nest. 



The practice of indiscriminately shooting Gulls 

 for what is called " sport," and for the sake of 

 gratifying a fashionable rage for feathers, cannot 

 be too strongly deprecated, especially when it is 

 known that the unfortunate birds are most perse- 

 cuted at a time when they have eggs or young, 



