THE GULL* 
233 
few yards, and conning ns over with a vacant simple 
stare, kept repeating their plaintive, melancholy, 
imploring sort of note. While, on the other hand, 
a pair or two of the large Black-hacked Gulls ( Lams 
marinus ) from time to time sailed by, and then 
dropping on their inaccessible ledge, reconnoitred 
us with a scrutinizing look, from their keen, sus- 
picious, penetrating eye. The former, barely opening 
their comparatively slender beaks enough to give 
vent to a gentle cry, seemed to say, “We are 
poor harmless creatures ; do not hurt us.” The 
latter, on the other hand, the moment they had 
alighted, opening their s as wide as possible, uttered 
a loud hearty scream, as much as to say, “ This is 
our territory ; you have no business here.” Not far 
from the resting-place of this pair of Black-hacked 
Gulls, a couple of the common sort had, when we 
last visited this interesting spot, established them- 
selves on a hit of a plateau, that made one giddy to 
look at, and quite tremble for the fate of their sole 
offspring, a little grey downy-covered nestling, with 
about half an inch between its toes and destruction, 
for a breath might have blown it over : hut there 
stood the little tottering bird, quite at its ease, so 
well tutored, apparently, that when the old ones 
successively returned with food, it betrayed none of 
those emotions common to young birds, which 
would certainly have thrown it off its balance ; 
no tremulous movement of its flappers, no impatient 
stretchings of its neck, no gapings of its mouth. 
There it stood, motionless, as if conscious of the 
dangers attendant on even the slightest hustling dis- 
play of satisfaction. It was impossible not to feel 
