102 ANIMAL LIFE UNDER WATER 



During the observation of the fish-feeding 

 habits of the gulls on my ponds I ,was very much 

 struck by the rate at .which they digest fish and 

 the enormous quantities they will take. When 

 an opportunity arose in 1912 of examining gull 

 contents for an inquiry held by the Essex 

 and Suffolk Fishery Board, I gladly accepted 

 the invitation to examine these birds, in con- 

 junction with the late Mr. Hudson, of 

 Ipswich. 



In this examination I was greatly assisted 

 by friends too numerous to mention, but I 

 would particularly thank Professor Herdman, 

 Dr. Walter Collinge, and Mr. Howard, of 

 Colchester, for helping me to recognise gull 

 contents with which I was not familiar. By kind 

 permission of the Essex and Suffolk Fishery 

 Board, I have dealt with the information 

 obtained during 1913-14 in a general manner. 

 The detailed account of this work, with all the 

 records, were submitted to the Fishery Depart- 

 ment of the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries 

 early in the war. 



During recent years gulls have increased in 

 such numbers that they are now present in their 

 myriads round our shores, and the effect of sea- 



