204 T HE BLACK-HEADED GULL 



on the coasts, the farmers inland derive little benefit from the gull's 

 destruction of pests. On the coasts and in estuaries gulls devour 

 vast quantities of garbage that would otherwise be a nuisance, 

 so that upon the whole gulls may be classed as compensating in 

 usefulness for damage inflicted on fisheries. A fair balance is 

 usually maintained by relaxing the Wild Birds' Protection Acts by 

 County Councils so that their eggs may be taken in districts where 

 they have so increased as to cause serious damage to fishermen. 



FIG. 1 20. THE BLACK-HEADED GULL. 



Gulls are readily trapped by tying a piece of offal or fish to 

 the plate or fork of a trap with large jaws, such as the Heron Trap 

 (Fig. 119), with 12-in. jaws for the large gulls, and not less than 

 7 -in. jaws for the small gulls. The traps are set in shallow water 

 and secured on a stump in the water ; baited with a fish, such trap 

 will take any fish-eating bird. Fish-hooks are often baited with 

 offal, or pieces of fish, and pegged down, for the purpose of catching 

 gulls. 



The BLACK-HEADED GULL (Larus ridibundus,Fig. 120) sometimes 

 breeds on the ponds and lakes of the eastern coasts, but are mostly 

 driven away, as at their breeding-places they are prevented multi- 

 plying, the eggs being in much request, having a good flavour and 

 no unpleasant fishy taste, for the birds at this time of year live on 

 land-slugs and worms chiefly. When the eggs are removed, like 

 many other species, they lay again, and even a third time, but the 

 eggs are smaller, some not above a third the proper size. Some 

 eggs of this species are as abnormal in shape and size as eggs of 

 the common fowl frequently are. Unless unduly multiplied the 

 black-headed gull is not injurious to cultivated crops. 



