BIRD NOTES 161 



ACTING ON THE DEFENSIVE 



Birds are seldom aggressive; they do not often 

 attack other species when in a state of liberty, and 

 seldom seriously quarrel amongst themselves. A 

 Starling will sometimes dispute possession of a place 

 on a dunghill when worms or the larva? of flies are 

 abundant, but anything like a serious scuffle is out 

 of the question, even when pretending to box, as 

 they will do, sometimes even springing up from the 

 ground in noisy dispute. When a Gull has seized 

 upon a titbit found floating upon the water, it 

 sometimes happens that a parcel of his fellows will 

 come noisily protesting against his keeping it, and 

 occasionally one or more will give chase. In this 

 case, his idea seems to be to get away with it, and a 

 long, circling, zigzag fly-round ensues, in which the 

 pursuers, in most cases, give in first. 



But when a bird is wounded, and his human 

 enemy seeks to lay hold of him, something like a 

 fight for life and liberty takes place. I have seen a 

 wounded Heron fight most savagely, darting light- 

 ning-like thrusts with his dangerous bill at man and 

 dog. Wounded or handled gulls will seize fingers 



with such petulancy and promptness that one must 

 ii 



