600 BIRDS OP . SOMERSETSHIRE. 



edge, on the face of the frowning precipice, and on 

 the top of the dizzy cliff, amongst sedgy grass, upon 

 the cold rock, and amongst the green samphire or 

 the crisp ling : it is composed of grasses, ling, dry 

 sea-weed and other floating rubbish, turf and various 

 other dry substances. The scattered stones of an 

 old ruined stone wall also seem a favourite nesting- 

 place. 



The Common Gull, like the Blackheaded, feeds 

 more about the mouths of harbours and in tidal 

 rivers than the Kittiwake : it is consequently less 

 partial to a merely fish diet, but eats nearly anything 

 than comes within its reach, devouring greedily bis- 

 cuit, bread, fat, mess pork, oil and tallow, but its 

 favourite food seems to be oil or grease, in obtaining 

 which it shows the greatest perseverance and in- 

 genuity.* It also occasionally feeds inland upon 

 insects, worms and grubs. 



Like other Gulls this bird takes a long time 

 arriving at maturity, quite four years, during which 

 time it goes through many changes of plumage : all 

 these changes are accurately pointed out by Mr. 

 Blake-Knox, in the 'Zoologist' for 1868 (Second 

 Series, p. 1075) : according to this paper, the first 

 summer plumage after the down is as follows : 

 " The head and neck are white, spotted with brown ; 

 the upper surface of the body and wings, except the 



* Zoologist' for 1867 (Second Series, p. 635). 



