CH. I.] GULLS OFF STORNOWAY. 159 
what extent he might be disposed to entertain 
friendly relations towards us. Accordingly, I 
took him in my lap, and offered him some nice 
bits of fish. At first he professed to be angry, 
and pecked at my fingers instead of the fish, 
as if to ask whether I thought it possible that 
he would condescend to accept my donations 
under restraint. However, having accidentally-on- 
purpose got hold of a piece of the fish, down it 
went; and, apparently thinking that under the 
circumstances he might do worse, he set to work 
with no ill-will or appetite, and soon got through 
a good part of a haddock. Then however, whe- 
ther from eating too fast, or from his position 
being uncomfortable, or perhaps from a feeling 
that he had heen compromising his dignity—for- 
tunately for me I had a pair of macintosh 
overalls on—up it all came again. As I had 
been for some time engaged in feeding this 
nursling, who thus repaid me by “puking in his 
nurse’s arms,” and the fish were biting freely, I 
left him to his own devices, and away he went. 
On regaining his liberty however, so far from 
appearing to resent my compulsory kindness, he 
rather seemed to wish for a repetition of the same 
course of treatment, for he continued to fly 
