THE MARINE VULTURE. 
285 
for tlieir symmetry of form, grace of motion, and delicacy 
and harmony of colour. We must here quote Macgillivray 
again, as we can find no author who describes, so w^ell as he 
does, the lovely Gulls and other waterfowl that enliven our 
seas, and shores, and A\dld marshy districts, which, without 
them, were so lonely, sad, and desolate : — 
The contrast between the dark purple tint of his back and wings, 
and the snowy white of the rest of his plumage, with the bright 
carmine-patched yellow of his powerful bill, and the delicate pinkish 
hue of his feet, render him an object at all times agreeable to the 
sight. No sprinkling of dust, no spot of mud ever soil his dowTiy 
clothing; his bill exhibits no tinge derived from the subject of his 
last meal, bloody or half putrid though it be ; and his feet, laved by 
the clear brine, are beautifully pure. There he stands on the sandy 
point, the guardian, as it were, of that flock of not less cleanly, and 
scarcely less lovely, Herring Gulls and Sea Mews. But, not giving 
us more credit for our good intentions than we deserve, he spreads 
out his large wings, stretches forth his long neck, runs a few paces, 
and, uttering a loud screaming cry, springs into the air. Some gentle 
flaps of those vigorous wings carry him to a safe distance, when he 
alights on the smooth water, and is presently joined by his clamorous 
companions. Buoyantly they float, each with his head to the wind, 
hke a fleet of merchantmen at anchor, secured from the attacks of 
pirates by the presence of their gallant convoy. If, in mere wanton- 
ness, you discharge your artillery, sending a bullet skipping among 
the flock, they hurriedly rise on wing, fill the air with their cries, 
and wheel around at a safe distance ; while the Black-backed Grull, 
disdaining to mingle with the clamorous crowd, after a few wide 
circlings, flies off seaward, and is soon out of sight. 
The author above quoted calls this bird the Marine 
Vulture, and says, that on the coasts of England there are 
few places where it considers it safe to breed ; nor are there 
many in the south of Scotland ; but on the islets and rocks 
of the Hebrides, Shetland, and Orkney Islands, vast num- 
bers annually nestle, although not many are often met with in 
the same spot. We can, however, tell the northern naturalist, 
that on the flat shores of Kent and Essex, and the marshes 
about the estuary of the Thames, this bird remains all the 
year, and occasionally nestles. It is more generally called 
the Cobb, as it was nearly three hundred years ago, when 
Dr. Turner wrote his ^ British Ornithology.' 
Thompson describes this noble bird as a resident in 
Ireland ; Montagu has seen it in considerable numbers in 
