THE SEA-GULL. 



climes when the chill blasts betokeif the advent of 

 winter, coming to cover their accustomed fish- 

 ing grounds with ice, and to hide their finny 

 prey. 



Graceful are their evolutions when, in noisy 

 groups, assembled over some school of little Fish, 

 they plunge into the sea in rapid succession, 

 throwing jets of sparkling drops into the air as 

 each fairy body strikes the yielding surface. Shrill 

 cries of triumph — sometimes of angry, petulent 

 scolding, as one stronger than his fellow snatches 

 away a well-earned prize — resound on every side. 

 The eye becomes dazzled and wearied in following 

 the innumerable curves of the white bodies of the 

 excited throng, though the spectator is filled with 

 pleasurable emotions at the variety and beauty 

 of their swift and easy movements. 



Not only along the reaches of the sandy shore 

 are these attractive birds found. Far out at sea, 

 hundreds of miles distant from any laud, tliey 

 flit over the bleak waters and glean a scanty meal 

 from off the crests of the angry wav:;s, or follow 

 in the wake of swiftly sailing ships, watchful for 

 every morsel thrown over their sides. Although 

 so light of body as to seem to be the sport of 

 every passing breeze, they battle successfully 

 with the storm, steadying themselves against the 

 furious blast on balanced wings, and with re- 

 peated tacks, like well-guided vessels, making 

 lieadway in the very face of the tempest. 



The Sea-Gull is always at liome upon tlie deep, 

 and, wlien wearied by a long-continued flight, set- 

 tles itself upon tlie water, and folding carefully 

 its long wings over its back, quietly rests, un- 

 mindful of the waves that toss its light form 

 about, as tliey swing to the power of the wind. 



Some of tlie breeding resorts of the Sea-GuIIs 

 are most wonderful places to visit ; for although 



many merely deposit their eggs in hollows in the 

 sand, yet sometimes they associate (for the pur- 

 pose of rearing their young) with other sea-birds 

 which are accustomed to breed on cliffs over- 

 hanging the sea. At such places every shelf and 

 narrow ledge is hidden by myriads of Auks, 

 Guillemots, and Puffins, which lay their unpro- 

 tected eggs upon the bare rocks, or in slight 

 holes on the faces of tlie cliffs; while farther in 

 the chasms the Gulls resort, and, forming col- 

 onies of their own, hatcli and rear tlieir young in 

 peace. All day long the rocks are alive with the 

 countless winged inhabitants, some arriving with 

 food for their young, and others departing to 

 seek it ; and should they be suddenly disturbed 

 by any unwelcome intruder, tlie whole population 

 rises on wing, with a noise like the sound of dis- 

 tant thunder, in numbers that fairly darken the 

 sky. Altliough so crowded, the different species 

 dwell together in amity, and when their arduous 

 duties are over, depart, each to seek its accus- 

 tomed haunts, and to enter upon its usual mode 

 of life, enlivening with its presence the bleak 

 shores of tlie watery world. 



Occasionally this wild Sea-Bird makes acquaint- 

 ance with human beings. From the lofty cliffs 

 at the back of the Isle of Wight, numerous wild- 

 fowl may be seen whirling in rapid flight through 

 the air, now rising above the green downs, now 

 descending to the blue surface of tlie water. 

 Towards the west end of that romantic island, in 

 a hollow between the cliffs, is the village of Gal- 

 bourne. Here, some time since, might have 

 been seen, sailing over the village green, Old 

 Phil, one of the white-winged birds I have de- 

 scribed. Abandoning tlie wild freedom of his 

 bretliren, he Jiad associated himself with the hu- 

 man inhabitants of the place. His chief friend 



