70 THE HOME OF A NATURALIST. 



amongst the gulls, whose habits and practices were 

 very similar to those of the Herring-gull. He came 

 and went as she did, and like her, put in a daily 

 appearance at the early dinner-hour of three o'clock, 

 with a punctuality which was a standing reproof to 

 some members of the family — myself, I fear, more 

 than any one else. 



The Glaucus gull is a magnificent bird, nearly as 

 large as the last named, but handsomer, and more 

 active in his habits and movements. He does not 

 breed in Shetland, but is a pretty regular winter 

 visitor. "We were very anxious to obtain a Glaucus 

 for a pet ; but the difficulty was to procure one with- 

 out injuring him. Long and deep were the discus- 

 sions we held, and many were the schemes proposed. 

 At last we succeeded in capturing one. Like most of 

 the larger species of gulls, the Glaucus is very partial 

 to carrion of every description. A pony had tumbled 

 over a precipice, and his carcass was washed up by 

 the sea on a little beach hard by. We observed a 

 fine young Glaucus at daybreak on several successive 

 mornings making his breakfast off the poor pony's 

 bones. Here was a chance not to be let slip. First 

 we tried a number of nooses, but failed. Finally we 

 captured him with a pretty large baited hook, across 

 the shaft of which a piece of wire about three inches 

 long was attached to prevent swallowing outright. 

 The hook caught in the lower mandible. We nipped 

 off the barb with a pincers, extracted the hook, and no 

 manner of injury was done. He was an exceedingly 



