NATATORES. 267 



as five Sparrows at a meal, and his capacity in this 

 respect is very wonderful. On one occasion a cat 

 brought two of her kittens out upon the lawn to 

 enjoy the sun, but while engaged in bringing the 

 second, the first was unceremoniously carried off by 

 the Gull, who thought, no doubt, he had secured a 

 good meal. Instead of tearing it up piecemeal, 

 however, as a Hawk would have done, he vainly 

 endeavoured to swallow it whole, and while thus 

 engaged he was discovered by a horrified member of 

 the family with the kitten's head down his throat, 

 while he was making frantic efforts to get the rest of 

 the body to follow. Of course the poor kitten was 

 rescued and restored to its anxious mother, and the 

 Gull was left to testify his disappointment by the 

 most discordant cries. 



A little white terrier is extremely jealous of 

 the Gull, and whenever the latter appears at the 

 window to be fed, the dog rushes forward, barking 

 furiously, but always contriving to keep just out of 

 reach of the formidable bill. One day the dog was 

 observed in the garden, trotting slowly towards the 

 house, while his enemy the Gull was standing unseen 

 by him behind a Laurustinus, as if watching for an 

 opportunity to be revenged. No sooner had the 

 dog passed the shrub than he was seized by the 

 back, violently shaken, and carried, howling, across 

 the lawn, without offering the least retaliation. He 

 was then released, and probably never ran so fast in 



2 A 2 



