BIRD NOTES 59 



chances of having a little sport. When the gun 

 licence and close season became more burdensome, 

 the practice was gradually discontinued. Not a 

 few interesting birds in this way came into the 

 hands of local dealers. In January 1881, during 

 severe weather, a smack-master got well in amongst 

 a number of Glaucous Gulls (Larus glaucus), securing 

 no less than twenty-seven. These were thrown on 

 the ice, and kept fresh enough until his arrival in 

 port. An amusing circumstance is attached to the 

 disposal of the dead gulls. Two local dealers in 

 natural objects boarded the boat together, one going 

 below, the other remaining on deck. It would be 

 unnatural to suppose that he who was in the hold 

 choosing the birds he wished for picked the least 

 valuable specimens; therefore the most mature 

 examples were handed up to the deck, where he 

 supposed they would become his. But to his 

 amazement, he who had remained on deck was 

 in lawful possession of them, having paid the 

 skipper ere his rival below could come up to 

 claim them. 



These fishermen-sportsmen sometimes took a big 

 curly-coated retriever to sea with them, finding the 

 animal useful in recovering wounded and dead birds, 



