100 HEBRIXG GULL, 



familiarities. In the breeding season he is accompanied by his 

 mate, who will not venture to descend, but remains hovering 

 and screaming over him whilst he is feeding below.' 



These birds utter loud cries at the approach of danger, and 

 so become sentinels for other species. 



They fly rather slowly, and at a low height, sweeping down, 

 and catching up any prey from the water. They walk about 

 much on the sea-beach in search of food. 



This species is very indiscriminate in its choice of food, 

 swallowing alike small fish, small crabs, shrimps, Crustacea, 

 and mollusks generally, starfish, the eggs of other sea-birds, 

 wheat, small birds, rats, mice, cockchaffers, worms, in fact any 

 thing eatable. It gives preference, however, when it has a 

 choice, to fish, and is very bold in approaching boats and 

 nets, so as to have acquired in Italy the name of Fisherman 

 'Pescatore del onda.' It is said also to trample the soft 

 sand, to bring its prey to the surface. 



In the 'Naturalist,' vol. iii, page 28, George Donaldson, 

 Esq. writes of one kept in a garden: 'At this period, how- 

 ever, he acquired a taste for Sparrows, and scarcely a day 

 passed on which he did not regale himself with four or five 

 of them. His system of catching them was this: He was 

 on the best terms with a number of Pigeons which this 

 gentleman had, and as the Sparrows fed along with them, he 

 mixed in the group, and by stooping assumed as much as 

 possible their appearance, and then set at the Sparrow as a 

 pointer dog would do his game; the next instant he had his 

 prey by the back, and swallowed it without giving it time 

 to shut its eyes. The sporting season began with him about 

 the middle of July, as the young birds were leaving their 

 nests; and as numbers of them were produced in Mr. Kemp's 

 garden, and others came to practise there, they found it very 

 slippery ground, for the enemy was upon them in a moment. 

 At the expiration of three years, his plumage was assuming 

 a lighter shade, although the grey feathers on the under part 

 of his body were quite apparent. He pursued his old system 

 of snatching and swallowing with great success, and arrived 

 at so much perfection in the art that he caught his prey 

 often while flying past, and occasionally sprang from the ground, 

 and struck a bird down with his wing, which he had no 

 difficulty in afterwards capturing. On one occasion, while 

 standing near a pump well in the garden, he pounced upon 

 a rat, which had come there for the purpose of drinking; it 



