ON THE FAERALONES. 31 



Western gull, in size and color almost the counterpart of the 

 herring gull of the East, stands his watch over a nest that is 

 safer from intruders than any of the other nests. 



The gull of the East is a persecuted creature. He is robbed 

 of his eggs ; he is killed by gunners for his wings and feathers, 

 to put into feather-beds when they are not put on hats ; he is 

 forced from his chosen home, and is even compelled to build 

 his nest in trees, contrary to his nature. 



Our sympathies are too much with the gull of the East to 

 make us inquire if he has faults ; but when we see the gull of 

 the West, free, secure, little molested, we find his honesty ques- 

 tionable and a trait of low cunning highly developed. The 

 sea gull is so like our old friend the crow in his boldness, 

 impudence, and intelligence, that it is easy to believe that he is 

 honest only under compulsion ; and that the Western gull acts 

 out his real nature while the Eastern one lacks opportunity. 



As soon as the breeding season opens the gulls begin repair- 

 ing their old nests, which are large, comfortable affairs, made 

 of the dry, ravelled Farralone weed. At the very outset they 

 show their nature ; for they steal their materials from the 

 cormorants that nest near them. The cormorant is heavy, 

 long-necked, ill-balanced, and awkward, so that picking up 

 nesting stuff is hard work for him, while the active gulls can 

 gather it as readily as any land-birds. 



In their feeding we find the gulls eating their own honestly 

 earned fish and crabs and sea-urchins, and also the fish that 

 they steal from the nests of the cormorants. Not content 

 with this, they eat the cormorants' eggs, and later in the season 

 their black, bare-skinned, greasy-looking babies. It is almost 

 incredible that a bird so spotless and dainty in its appearance 

 can have so black a heart, but live young cormorant is part 

 of the gull's bill of fare. 



