266 WITH THE WOODLANDERS. 



gull, whose wings extend five feet four inches, feeds 

 on the same dead body at times as the raven, side 

 by side, Odin's bird and the sea-vulture. This bird 

 wanders ; and it is a curious circumstance that the 

 pure -looking sea-bird should be credited with far 

 greater power for mischief than even the raven : 

 yet such is the case. They go over the same kind 

 of hunting-grounds, feed on the same kind of food, 

 living and dead, and get trapped with the same 

 baits. Owners of grouse-moors, I conclude, if they 

 had their choice, would prefer to be visited by the 

 ravens sooner than by the cobs. As the gull flaps 

 along, his keen eyes detect the dead and wounded 

 birds left after shooting. Down he swoops, and on 

 the prey he gorges like a vulture not on carrion, 

 but on game. The next day he returns to find 

 some more ; and then others, seeing him making 

 off in the same direction day after day, follow in 

 the same course, for they know food is to be had 

 of some sort. So that after a time a couple of pairs 

 will hunt the moor regularly. 



As the swallowing capacity of these birds is enor- 

 mous, they are shot or trapped as soon as possible. 

 I have seen the cob in many places, and in all 



