316 WILD-FOWL AND SEA-FOWL OF GREAT BRITAIN 



yet they are eaten frequently by those that know 

 how to deal with them. I have dined off a Herring 

 Gull recently, and the Black-backed species are quite 

 as good. The only thing to complain about is, that 

 they have more feathers than meat on them. No 

 one that had at any time of his life fowled on, or by, 

 the tide would omit the Gulls, either in speaking 

 about the fowls or in writing, for they hover about 

 to prey on any dead or wounded bird. If a trap is 

 set for one of the Raptores, the Gull gets in it ; if a 

 sheep that has died is poisoned for the benefit of 

 the Hoodies, the Gull has his share and goes to 

 sleep over it. But there is a bit of a drawback to 

 this ; those rough-coated, bob-tailed sheep-dogs are 

 very sagacious, and think matters over on their own 

 account. One of them I knew had seen his master 

 make some dead mutton look very inviting, and as 

 he was never kept on the chain, he sneaked off at 

 night for a " blow-out." In the morning the shep- 

 herd found him dead on his door-flag. By the side 

 of the doctored mutton he found one Crow. The 

 dog had driven the Gulls away. 



That fine, pure-looking bird, the Herring Gull, 

 is larger than the Lesser Cob, and more stoutly 

 built. In its general behaviour and habits it re- 

 sembles those we have already noticed. All refuse 

 is acceptable to this bird, whether washed up or 

 brought down ; no matter how, so long as there is 

 enough of it. Marine vulture, as a comprehensive 

 title, suits all three. That is one reason why they 

 are so easily kept by the fishermen's children, for 



