HOW 1 BECAME A NATURALIST 7 



spot, and if they thought a bird would please me it 

 was sure to be got for ' the boy.' One day a lad 

 made a sign to me ; I knew what it meant, and 

 followed him to his home. Opening the door, he 

 pointed to something in a corner, saying, * There, 

 mind he don't nip ye ! ' 



It was a black-backed gull, one of the largest of his 

 kind, quite capable, if I had given him the chance, of 

 wrenching one of my small fingers off. 



* Father 's just winged him ; he ain't hurt you ? 

 Come an' draw his pictur.' 



I did draw its picture, to his great satisfaction, if 

 not to my own, and made him a present of it. 



One day I was missing, for early in the morning 

 a lad had whispered to me, ' Father's boat will come 

 in on the next tide ; he's bin away all the week on 

 the fishing ground. Coin' to meet him, ain't 'ee, 

 eh?' 



In the evening something was seen moving up the 

 street in front of the fishermen covered with wings 

 What it was the folks could not at first make out. 

 Coming a little nearer some one shouted, * It's the boy 

 with his birds ! ' 



The boy went to bed that night in a reflective 

 mood ; for he had been corrected in the very forcible 

 manner before hinted at. The next day found him 



