63 



THE NATIONAL EXPENDITURE ON THE 



MAINTENANCE OF GULLS. 



By J. Brown, F.R.S. 



(Abstract.) 

 During most part of last summer I sojourned at a pretty fishing 

 village on our coast where the industry was herrings, the talk was 

 herrings, the very smell was herrings, and when we sailed out of 

 the harbour we were reminded of herrings by the cries of the 

 gulls. 



The fishermen said the gulls were playing, but if one knew the 

 views of the baby herrings who were invited to the game, these 

 would probably be comprised in the old saying, " what is play to 

 you is death to us." 



The play is thus. The razor-bills and other diving birds with a 

 skill worthy of even a " Bobs " have driven the fry into a little 

 Paardeberg of their own at the surface. The sea has two surfaces, 

 top and bottom. The razor-bill prefers the top for breathing 

 purposes. This suits the gulls admirably, and no quarter is given. 



If one stand on the bows of a boat which is rapidly sailed 

 through such a "play" one may see the " ball " of fry a wreathing- 

 writhing semi-solid mass of baby herrings. 



Every one of them knows what he is about, and that it is a 

 matter of life or death to him to get as near the centre of the ball 

 as possible. Below the razor-bill awaits him ; above the no less 

 pitiless beak of the gull. Truly " Nature is red in tooth and 

 claw." 



Let us now become hypothetical and mathematical. 



Supposing each bird ate 200 herring-fry in a day, which, 

 considering the activity of the bird and his opportunity and the 

 smallness of the fry, seems a fair estimate, and as his play-time 



