Chapter XXXI. 



GULLS. 



"How many things, "says Shakespeare, "by season season- 

 ed are to their true praise and right perfection." There are 

 times when we scarcely look at gull: there are others when 

 we cannot; for in this part of the world gulls as a rule 

 disappear with the heat and come back with the cool. At 

 the first touch of red or yellow on the new leaves they know 

 it is time to seek theij" winter haunts, and so the coast 

 ports of China get their welcome share of these very 

 interesting visitors from October onwards. There are more 

 than twenty kinds of them to be found in China waters, 

 some extremely common, others rare. Some are practically 

 identical with the same birds in English waters; others 

 vary to some extent. Gulls, as a rule, with a few very 

 marked exceptions, are widely spread. The ease of their 

 flight, their swimming power, and their ability to make a 

 living ashore if need be, mark them out as being fitted for 

 survival. They are nearly omnivorous. Fish, floating 

 refuse, molluscs, worms, flesh and other things seem equally 

 welcome. One of the closest assemblages of gulls it ever 

 fell to my lot to see was some years ago when leaving 

 Cork harbour on an Atlantic liner which was just disposing 

 of its daily sweepings by throwing them overboard. 

 Doubtless amongst the rubbish were pieces of cheese of 

 which — Gorgonzola for preference, I believe — gulls are 

 inordinately fond. To the farmer, they are, during the 

 ploughing season, almost as useful as the rook, for they 

 follow the plough and snap up whatever in the shape of 

 wireworm, or other vermiform food, may be exposed. Feeding 

 the gull is a favourite pastime from London bridges, and we 

 sometimes see it done from the Garden Bridge in Shanghai. 

 Then comes the chance for budding airmen to take note of 

 the perfection of nature's methods in utilizing air currents 

 andovercoming their difficulties. That, however, is perhaps best 

 seen at sea when, seated on the poop on a fine, sunny, breezy 

 day, one may for hours watch the marvellous means of 

 progression possessed by these birds. For several minutes 

 at a time I have w atched a single bird keep up with a vessel 

 running at from twelve to fourteen knots, no feather moving 



