BIRDS IN THE CALENDAR 
most expert diver of them all, though in no 
sense at home under water like the shag. 
I have often, when at anchor ten or fifteen 
miles from the land, and attended by the 
usual convoy of seabirds that invariably 
gather round fishing-boats, amused myself by 
throwing scraps of fish to them and watching 
the gulls do their best to plunge below the 
surface when some coveted morsel was going 
down into the depths, and now and again a 
little Roman-nose puffin would dive headlong 
and snatch the prize from under the gulls' 
eyes. Most of the birds were fearless enough ; 
only an occasional "saddleback" the 
greater black-backed gull of the text-books 
knowing the hand of man to be against it for 
its raids on game and poultry, would keep at 
a respectful distance. 
Considered economically, the smaller gulls 
at any rate have more friends than enemies, 
and they owe most of the latter not so much 
to their appetites, which set more store by 
offal and carrion than by anything of greater 
value, as to their exceedingly dirty habits. 
These unclean fowl are in fact anything but 
welcome in harbours given over in summer 
96 
