550 THE HERRING GULL. 



slowly off-shore and snatches fish or refuse from the surface of the water, 

 or patrols the beach in search of offal. Immense companies follow the fishing 

 tugs as they visit the traps, and these are fed generously by the fishermen, 

 who are glad to be rid of certain sorts of fish. 



The voracity of these toilers of the deep is astonishing. Langille tells 

 of one which picked up the newly-skinned body of a Common Tern, thrown 

 on the water, and gulped it down at a mouthful, scarcely retarding its flight. 

 Nothing that contains the faintest elements of nutriment comes amiss. Gulls 

 will follow steamboats from port to port or even across the ocean, subsisting 



Taken in Lorain County. p} loto by t ] le Author. 



FISH TRAPS IN LAKE ERIE. 



entirely upon the refuse which comes from the cook's galley. It is a perennial 

 source of delight to the traveller to feed these winged pensioners by hand, 

 tossing them bits of bread or meat to test their skill in "catching on the fly," 

 or to note the wild scrimmage which follows when a score of birds spy the 

 same morsel. 



In following steamers, as at other times, Gulls obtain their rest by sleep- 

 ing on the water, and it is said that in crossing the ocean they spend the night 

 thus, and overhaul their patron ship early the following morning. 



But perhaps the most interesting phase of Gull nature is seen in their 

 manner of flight. They are past masters of that humanly unattainable craft, 



