THE WOMBAT. 39 



THE PEEWITS SUZERAIN. 



(From the Saturday Review.) 



By Edmund Selous. 



IT is a matter of common knowledge that several of the skuas — 

 including the two species which visit our northern coasts — obtain 

 their food by the systematic robbery of gulls and terns, so that, in 

 this curious, piratical manner, they may be said to be parasitical upon 

 them. I am not sure if it is equally well known that similar 

 relations exist between the black-headed gull and at least one 

 species of land bird — the peewit ; but such is certainly the case, 

 and ) although this debased way of feeding has not, as would seem 

 to be the case with the skuas, usurped all others, yet it is practised 

 almost as commonly and carried out with the same degree of 

 professional skill. The gull, as might be expected, is the aggressor, 

 and nothing is more interesting than to lie at full length upon '' the 

 slope of some wind-swept down " and see the thing going on during 

 a whole morning or afternoon. The gulls — few in number, having 

 regard to the extent of territory over which they work — stand 

 motionless and watch the peewits as from so many little observ- 

 atories. Of a sudden one rises, and at the same moment you catch 

 the jerk forward of a peewit's head in the act of seizing something 

 on the ground. As he jerks it up again he sees the gull, which is 

 now almost upon him, and instantly takes to flight, followed by the 

 latter, who, as soon as he is discovered, raises a loud, wailing cry 

 which seems to have in it something of an upbraiding quality, as 

 though reproaching the peewit for its ungenerous behaviour. The 

 peewit, uncivilised and knowing not what blessings are, exerts 

 itself to the utmost, labours at first its broad, green fans, then 

 suspending their motion shoots upwards, poises and comes rushing 

 down in one — and then another — of those bold, gliding sweeps that 

 we all know in him and all applaud. The gull pursues with cry 

 on cry, draws near, overtakes, lays, as it were, alongside, but seems 

 purposely to refrain from actual violence, There is turn and turn, 

 double and double, then all at once the pursuer, checking suddenly 

 and often with difficulty its swift full sail, drops plumb to the 

 ground, picks up and devours something greedily, and either 

 remains standing there, or with a satisfied look flies off to another 

 part of the field. The peewit, it is obvious, has been forced to drop 

 whatever it had, upon whifth the gull has stopped the chase, descend- 

 ed and made the morsel his. When one sees this once, one may 

 think — for it is not easy to admit directly the facts — that the gull 

 has by chance seen something on the ground and that the chase 

 itself has been a more or less causeless act of aggression. But as 

 the same thing happens again and again — goes on happening, in 



