THE HERRING GULL. 
343 
fish, circling over it in such a manner that the flock takes the 
form of a revolving hollow cylinder. Tlie time to see them to 
perfection is when a cloud of them is coming up the voe in 
attendance upon boats returning from the liaaf, or deep-sea 
fishing. There are few more beautiful sights on a bright 
breezy morning. Any one who would like to thus pass an 
hour or two in the midst of a flock of Gulls upon the wing 
must nevertheless he prepared to find the boat’s attractiveness 
considerably less for himself than for the birds, the odour and 
the dainty bits so tempting to them being rather dreadful to 
humankind. There is also a convenient old prejudice, that it 
is not lucky to keep a boat too clean, even were it easy so to 
do when the offal is removed from the fish on the way home. 
There are few more vigilant alarmists than the Herring Gulls, 
a sort of universal benevolence seeming to possess them when 
one is trying to steal upon other birds unperceived, or is lying 
in wait for a shot. Many a Wild Duck have I lost, made 
aware of danger by the loud and well understood cry of the 
White Maa overhead. Nor is it thought enough merely to 
give a warning note in passing ; if the cry be not heeded, the 
Gull will, at much danger to itself, sweep down to the 
threatened bird — a Heron, for example, — and fluster it into tak- 
ing wing. Indeed, in many ways an observer who Lives much 
among the sea-fowl learns to appreciate the abundant life and 
vigour of the Herring Gull. One February day, upon the 
south side of the voe at Balta Sound, I was watching a flock 
of these Gulls feeding upon some sillacks which had been 
thrown outside a cottage door, when a Eaven came down and 
flew off with his share. Upon this the Gulls raised a great 
clamour, and one of them, an old one, started away in pursuit 
of the thief, and not only compelled him to let fall his booty, 
but also chased him for nearly a mile, the delinquent all the 
while crying out as though he were being murdered. I have 
also seen a pair of them chase a Hooded Crow, force it to drop 
what it was carrying, and immediately pounce upon the spoil 
and appropriate it to themselves. Possibly in such a pro- 
