BIRD NOTES 25 



wonderful migration of Larks? Yesterday, 2nd 

 February, from early morning until five o'clock, con- 

 tinual flocks of Larks were passing close to the sea- 

 coast, coming from north-west going to south-east. 1 ' 

 [The note was signed 3rd February 1897. Beeston 

 Regis.] 



Very wild weather with wind blowing from the 

 south-east set in on the 7th. 



FULL MEALS 



A bird is apparently far more concerned about the 

 quantity of its food than its taste or quality ; indeed, 

 so long as that food is its natural supply, its state 

 or condition matters but little, taste having but 

 secondary choice in the selection. I have seen gulls 

 gorged with carrion. An immature Herring Gull 

 (Larus argentatus) floated upstream beside the putrid 

 carcass of a dog, out of which it pulled flesh piece 

 after piece until it could eat no more ; then it heavily 

 took to wing, and settled directly upon a flat, to doze 

 while digestion began and completed its work. A 

 Gull had dropped upon the smooth surface of the 

 sea right amongst a teeming shoal of herring-fry. 

 It had dined so heartily that it could with difficulty 



