106 WESTERN SERIES OF READERS. 



watched the bit of fish as we tossed it out. It fell 

 on the sand. The gull pushed it out into the 

 water, but kept an. eye on it. Just as it was 

 going out with the tide, the gull ran in and 

 brought it back. It dropped it on the sand and 

 then pushed it down so the fingers of the tide 

 could just reach it. Then the bird ran in after it 

 again. The bird kept up this apparent sport for 

 a long while, and others joined the play. They 

 accepted several pieces of fish which we gave 

 them, and amused themselves until the morsels 

 were worn and torn into little shreds. This sport 

 of the gulls was very interesting, and since then 

 we have often given them scraps of food to play 

 with. 



It is only when the fishermen bring in their 

 night's catch, however, that gulls seem to have 

 more than enough of anything to eat. 



Of course, gull-flesh is not very good for eating; 

 still, some of the sea-beach people who live far 

 from market do use the birds for food, and de- 

 clare the meat "better than nothing." It has the 

 blending of fish-and-flesh flavor, not to one's 

 liking. 



Our Western gull nests on the Santa Barbara 

 and Farallone islands, and at Catalina they have 

 taken possession of a large rock in the surf, 



