630 The Zoologist — Makch, 1867. 



its birds has something to boast of. When breeding solitary I always 

 found it extremely shy, leaving the nest on the approach of danger, 

 and not appearing again till all seemed quiet. It shows greater 

 determination when in company, and hovers over the intruder, dismally 

 repeating " e-yah, yah-yah. 



Food. — Omnivorous. Floating garbage, fish, crustaceans, mollusks, 

 &c. ; carrion, worms, and various land and marine insects. Potatoes 

 and bread are the only vegetable substances I know of it eating, 

 though I have heard of it feeding on corn and growing turnips. Its 

 stomach is not at all adapted to digest any but cooked vegetables, so 

 that dire necessity must have caused it to feed on such food. 



Cry. — Lament and apprehension, "e-yah e-yah yah-yah-yah ;" pain 

 and anger, " is-kree-e-e," " yah-wah-wah-wah ;" pleasure, " is-kla- 

 he-e;" anxiety, "is-key-ah." 



Flight, Resting, Swimming. — The flight is a succession of steady 

 beats of the wings and gliding soars; it is more like the noble gull's 

 than either the kittiwake's or the blackheaded gull's. It is freely 

 master of its wings, as its volatile and erratic flights would prove. 

 No bird shows more varied action than does the common gull when 

 fishing in company, none of them so competent to pursue a companion 

 for the piece he cannot swallow, and none of them so competent to 

 elude pursuit. From a great height they will throw themselves quickly 

 to the water by a rapid zigzag fall, just steadying themselves an 

 instant above the surface before darting or alighting on their prey. In 

 windy weather the flight is very pretty and shows great expertness, 

 lying up to wind one moment and progressing by steady beats of the 

 wing; the next gliding with outspread and motionless pinions, 

 balancing itself by throwing the body slightly from side to side, now 

 falling to a foot above the surface, repeating the steady beats; anon 

 rising in the air and throwing up its breast to the wind, allowing itself 

 to be carried fifty yards or more before the blast, when it will again 

 shear to the water and progress steadily against the storm. Very 

 varied and gay indeed is its flight. Like all the family it swims with 

 breast deepest, the tail elevated and the head carried gracefully — 

 swimming with no great speed, merely using this power when fatigued 

 or lazy from feeding, or when requiring to alight on the water to 

 devour some large piece of food. They rarely rest on rocks, preferring, 

 if in their neighbourhood, the strands or the fields adjacent to the sea. 

 They stand with the head on the shoulders, and one foot generally 

 buried in the under plumage. The walk is stately, the neck carried 



