220 BRITISH BIRDS. 



which is from May till August. They make their 

 nest of moss, on the dry grassy tufts in boggy 

 places, and lay two eggs of an ash colour, spotted 

 with black. 



These birds are common on the British shores in 

 September. They do not exceed the lesser Gulls, or 

 Mews, in size, yet their greater ferocity enables 

 them to carry into effect a continual system of per- 

 secution, which is prompted by their ravenous 

 appetite. As soon as they perceive that one of the 

 Mews has seized a prey, they pursue and attack it 

 with the speed and vigour of a Hawk, until the 

 harassed bird, through fatigue or fear, is compelled 

 to drop or disgorge the object of contention, which 

 the pursuer catches in the fall, commonly before it 

 reaches the water. 



