590 



Both in Kent and Essex, where those counties bound the 

 estuary of the Thames, this Gull is to be seen throughout 

 the year on the sandy flats and bars, picking up as food 

 any refuse animal matter the tide may bring ; occasionally 

 taking its flight to survey the line of the slack and shallow 

 water near the shore, Hovering in its search to be certain 

 of its object, and picking up from the surface of the water 

 small fishes, or other floating substance, to satisfy its appe- 

 tite. This bird frequently, also, goes some miles inland 

 to follow a plough in search of insects and grubs. Here 

 also, as well as on other parts of the coast which are flat, 

 the Common Gull breeds in marshes, or on flat islands, 

 while in other districts, to be hereafter named, it breeds 

 on high rocks. They frequently follow the course of a 

 river for many miles up from the sea ; Mr. Jesse notices 

 one that was shot in winter on the Mole, near Hampton 

 Court. The Common Gull, in confinement, will feed on 

 pieces of bread ; some kept by Colonel Montagu would 

 pick up grain when not supplied with fish or worms, 

 and one bird of this species, kept by John Hunter, was 

 brought by degrees to live entirely on corn. The stomach 

 of this bird was examined after death, and the muscular 

 parietes were found to be thickened. The preparation is 

 preserved in the Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons. 

 A female in the possession of Dr. Thackeray, the Provost 

 of King's College, Cambridge, had for several seasons fol- 

 lowing, laid one or more eggs ; two duck's eggs were 

 placed in her nest in the summer of 1844, upon which she 

 sat steadily, and both were productive. One of the young 

 Ducks died at the hatching-time, the other she reared and 

 attended constantly. 



The Common Gull in a wild state makes rather a large 

 nest, whether on marsh or rock, of sea-weeds and grass, 

 and lays two or three eggs of a dark olive brown, spotted 



