GULLS 121 



devour over 30,000 shrimps on that tide. As 

 there were over 2,000 gulls feeding in the Orwell 

 at this time, it may reasonably be assumed that 

 100,000 shrimps were accounted for. 



The Orwell used to teem with fish; it now 

 teems with gulls after fish food in the tidal water. 



The fishing round our shores and in the estu- 

 aries of our rivers has certainly deteriorated, and 

 after the facts I have given it appears to me 

 reasonable to think that gulls are to some extent 

 responsible for this deterioration. 



The next question is, what is the influence of 

 gulls upon our inland fisheries ? 



I have by me at the present time a book full 

 of correspondence, press cuttings and reports 

 concerning the fishing habits of gulls on inland 

 waters. The fisherman seems to have no doubt 

 whatever in his mind as to the depredations of 

 the common and black-headed gull, and I had 

 found trout in black-headed gulls before I 

 examined birds during the investigation I have 

 mentioned. I have no data of these bygone 

 days, but during 1913-14 I examined the con- 

 tents of thirty-nine black-headed gulls shot in 

 the vicinity of a stream near the Solway Fishery, 

 Dumfries, and near the Rothesay Fishery, 



