302 
ARE GULLS FOOLISH ? 
skimming over the surface of the ocean, or sitting, light as 
snow flakes, on the rising and falling billows, with but one 
or two species of which we are at all generally acquainted. 
But here we have a large family circle, every member of 
which has some distinguishing peculiarity, not always, how- 
ever, obvious to the casual observer. Having, as fully as 
our space permitted, described these, we may now make a 
few observations on Gulls generally ; and let us, at the out- 
set, enquire, are they such foolish birds, that the name 
applied to them should form a synonym for one easily 
cheated ? — that Ben Jonson should make one of his cha- 
racters say — • 
Had you no quirk, sir, 
To avoid gulling by such a venture ? 
And another — 
You know I am not easy to be giilVd. 
And yet another — 
Now will I gull these ganders rarely. 
How is it that all English authors have agreed to accept 
the name of a fool and a Gull as synonymous, we say? 
Perhaps Mrs. Jameson may help us to explain this. In her 
' Winter Studies and Summer Rambles,' she says, describ- 
ing the passages near Lake Huron : * But what was really 
very touching was to see the poor Gulls. Sometimes we 
would startle a whole bevy of them, as they were floating 
gracefully on the waves, and they would rise, soaring away 
beyond our reach ; but the voyageurs suspended their 
paddles, imitated exactly their own soft, low whistle, and 
then the wretched, foolish birds, just as they had been so 
many women, actually wneeled round in the air, and came 
flying back to meet the " fiery death." ' Our author is not 
very complimentary on her sex here — lured to destruction, 
she would imply, as easily as a Gull. But, had we space, 
we could cite many examples to show that the Gulls are 
really very cunning birds, and by no means so easily lured 
to destruction as might be supposed. 
Let us then hear no more of the foolishness of Gulls; 
