184 AFFINITIES AND GEOGRAPHICAL 



some of the most advanced genera attract attention by their 

 beautiful song. 



This stirps starts with the Gulls (LaridtR), an oceanic tribe 

 distributed over the whole world, of active flying habits, 

 generally of pure white plumage, presenting a variety of 

 species, some of which, as the Terns, tend to a river life, and 

 are of a swallow-like form. The mental character of the 

 gulls does not stand high in our estimate ; but we often do 

 injustice in this respect to the sea-birds, believing that to be 

 stupidity which is only unconsciousness of danger arising from 

 the habitat being remote from human haunts. Mr. Edmond- 

 stone of Zetland speaks of the " characteristic inquisitiveness 

 and vivacity" of many of the gulls, being the very qualities 

 to be expected in the patriarchs of this stirps. Certain 

 species, as the Skua, are predaceous and fierce, and the 

 Glaucous Gull is a well known attendant upon sailing vessels 

 for the sake of offal. Like the crows, the gulls attack and 

 devour: they will quickly eat up a dead whale. The 

 common gull, again, comes to land in cultivated regions, 

 and follows the plough in search of what it may turn up. It 

 is not unworthy of notice, considering how this stirps is 

 generally distinguished in respect of voice, that a particular 

 species of the Laridse is known, from its peculiar cry, by the 

 name of the Laughing Gull. 



Though the Gulls are upon the whole a whitish race, there 

 are species presenting an admixture of black. This should 

 prepare us in some degree to hear the crows (Cormda), 

 and Kingfishers (Halcyonidce) presented as the immediate 

 successors of the Gulls, more especially as one of the former 

 family the Pie is chequered, and white crows sometimes 

 occur as exceptions to the rule. But the immediate depend- 

 ence of the colour of plumage upon conditions is one of the 

 most familiar facts of the philosophical naturalist, and the 

 changes in this respect which individual birds undergo in 

 their moultings before attaining maturity, might well recon- 

 cile us to the most startling transitions. 



The Kingfishers small birds of brilliant metallic plu- 



