COMMON GULL. 571 



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 sto- 

 mach 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, has 

 for several seasons following, 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 pro- 

 ductive. 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, 



