SEA GULLS AS PETS 
65 
compelled to come in among the houses in diflerent parts which 
I know. Especially is this the case where there is a garden 
plot or a hit of grass. These they frequent, picking up a pre- 
carious living by finding worms, or any refuse which may be 
thrown out. Where poultry is kept they are always on the 
watch at their feeding time, and many a stand-up fight takes 
place between the poultry and the gulls over the feeding. 
The visits of the gulls at feeding time is often the means of 
a friendship being begun between an individual and a gull 
which will last for years, often till the death of the gull brings 
it to an end. And this is how the friendship begins. With a 
view of allowing the poultry to get their food undisturbed, the 
party feeding them carries a few bits of broken bread. This is 
thrown to the gulls, who devour it eagerly. Repeated from day 
to day the gulls look upon it as a matter of course and attend 
regularly at feeding-time. One bolder than the others is of 
opinion that the distribution of bread is apparently specially 
intended for him. He asserts his right to it by boldly attacking 
the others, who ultimately get alarmed and let him e.xercise his 
right by conquest. Left to himself he gets, in course of time, 
quite tame, so tame, in fact, that he will pick up the bits of 
bread from between your feet when dropped there, and latterly 
from your hand. 
To a casual observer all gulls seem alike, but that is not the 
case ; for to a keen observer there is a difference, which he can 
detect, but which it is difficult to explain. So keen is it that he 
can distinguish his pet bird among a number. Many people 
will be inclined to smile at this, but it is nevertheless true. In 
fact, some people would tell you plainly they would not credit the 
fact that the same gull would frequent the same place for years. 
They would want proofs, and these are not difficult to supply. 
The writer has been a keen observer of the gulls for years, and 
counts among his feathered friends two gulls which have never 
been in captivity, which have an acquaintanceship of almost 
seven years’ standing. 
These birds are easily known from the fact that one of them 
has lost half a leg below the “ knee,” and the other has one of 
its feet damaged, which compels it to drag it when walking. 
The former, when I was in the habit of feeding it, often fell 
when running to catch the bread. In consequence, I conceived 
the idea of teaching her to catch it when thrown in the air. 
This idea caught on, and the gull became an adept in catching, 
seldom missing the bread thrown. On some days when the 
wind is too strong it is difficult to throw up the bread, and on 
these occasions she feeds off the ground. She knows the writer 
perfectly by sight, and if she is feeding in the park, which is 
close to the house, and he knocks on the window, she will fly 
round to the front of the house to meet him at the door. How 
she lost the half of the leg is a mystery, but she has got accus- 
tomed to it and can manage to get along marvellously on the 
