384 NATATORES. 



in their flight, than the skuas. Like those, they congregate 

 in the breeding season, often in immense and countless mul- 

 titudes; some breeding on the rocks by the sea, and others 

 in the lone and marshy pools and lakes, often at many miles 

 inland, but seldom, if ever, in elevated or mountainous parts 

 of the country. Many of them, the inland breeders espe- 

 cially, are instinctively weatherwise, and leave the sea before 

 the storm comes. At these times, as well as on their marches 

 to and from the breeding-grounds, they halt upon the fields, 

 and may be seen mingled with rooks and other land birds, 

 following the ploughs and picking up larvae and worms as 

 the earth is turned up. These marsh ones, indeed, support 

 both themselves and their young upon the produce of the 

 pools, and seldom range to any very great distance till the 

 young are able to accompany them. At other times, they 

 are distributed along the shores, industriously picking up not 

 only small animals, but all sorts of garbage that may come in 

 their way. In those fishing villages which range close by the 

 beaches in many parts of the country, and are not remarkable 

 for their cleanliness, the gulls are very familiar, and ply as 

 scavengers. In the far-famed village of Buckhaven, on the 

 southern shore of the kingdom of Fife, they used to be called 

 by the domestic name of "our toon 'ens;" and once, when 

 the Lord of the Manor took it into his head to exact pullets 

 as part of his rent, the fishermen brought him sundry baskets 

 of gulls, replying to the objections that were made, "We ken 

 na ither hens but thae, an' 'ow can we gie vat Providens 

 'as na gien us?" an argument which was unanswerable, as 

 gardens within flood-mark, stocked with muscles and crabs, 

 would have been but a sorry run for pullets. Abundant 

 quantity rather than particular quality of food seems to be 

 the object with the whole genus. If animal food of any kind 

 or in any state can be had, they prefer it ; if not, they will 

 eat seeds and other vegetable matters. In all the species of 



