NATATOEES. 257 



Gull in Middlesex, but the bird is (or was) plentiful 

 towards the mouth of the Thames, both in Kent and 

 Essex, breeding on some of the low flat islands on 

 the coast, and in the marshes of the interior. 



I have seen and shot several at Kingsbury,* 

 which must be thirty miles from the sea, but it is 

 only during spring and autumn (when the birds are 

 on their way to and from their breeding-grounds), or 

 after a gale, that they are found so far inland. 

 Nearer the coast I have seen them in flocks upon 

 the ploughed fields, busily searching for worms and 

 grubs, thus rendering good service to the farmer. 

 Besides worms, the stomachs of several which I 

 examined contained small beetles and flies, remains 

 of fish and shrimps, and small univalve shells be- 

 longing to the genus Rissoa. 



The Blackheaded seems the most fearless of all 

 the Gulls, and, like the Lesser Tern, will occa- 

 sionally suffer a very near approach. 



Early one winter's morning, while standing on 

 Wellington Quay, Dublin, I was much entertained 

 in watching a flock of Blackheaded Gulls which 

 were hovering round the mouth of a sewer and pick- 

 ing up the bits of offal which floated out. At first, 

 on my approach, they seemed disposed to retreat, 



* The last I killed so recently as the llth April, 1866. It 

 was one of three immature birds which frequented the reser- 

 voir at Kingsbury for two or three days. 



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