The Black-Headed 
Gull’s Character. 
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THE BIRD WORLD. 
The Black-Headed Gull's 
Character. 
There have been many evidences in 
recent years that the Black-headed Gull, 
once universally considered a harmless 
creature, was falling under suspicion, 
the evidences usually taking the form 
of fierce attacks on the character of the 
bird at County Councils by county gen¬ 
tlemen interested in salmon fishings. 
Less frequently farmers joined in the 
assault. It has been freely admitted that 
the fishers possessed a prima facie case. 
The Black-headed Gull has greatly in¬ 
creased in numbers in recent years, and 
small flocks are almost constantly to be 
seen swimming or wading on the shal¬ 
lows of streams. They are on the search 
for food, and occasionally they find it. 
Wliat is the Nature of the Food ? 
The answer to that question is rarely 
sought in a scientific way, but as the 
bird is known to be ready to eat any 
sort of animal matter, live or dead, 
fresh or putrid, within the competence 
of its throat, it is safe to conclude that 
it will eat salmon ova or salmon fry if 
it can find the one or catch the other. 
Farmer critics have had less ground for 
their unease. They see the bird much 
on the land, occasionally performing a 
very Rook-like part among growing 
crops, but only the suspicious section of 
them fear that it is up to mischief. 
A Scientific Inquest . 
It seems that while the Scottish 
County Councils have been deciding the 
question of the bird’s continued protec¬ 
tion in the light of the personal predilec¬ 
tions of members, that of Cumberland 
has been holding a scientific inquest on 
the character of the Black-head. Two 
natural history experts have been en¬ 
gaged, and in addition to their own 
work they have taken the opinion of 
other naturalists, of fishermen, and of 
farmers. The outcome of it all is very 
stronglv in favour of the Gull. On the 
charge of enmity to the farmer it may 
be said to have received an almost com¬ 
plete acquittal. 
Its Staple Food. 
Earthworms have been found to be 
its staple food, but pestilent wireworms, 
leather-jackets, and beetles formed a 
large proportion of its total intake. The 
vegetable matter found in the bird’s 
stomachs consisted of roots and other 
fibres, grass, young shoots, turnips, etc., 
and it is thought that part at any rate 
of this may have been swallowed ad¬ 
hering to the animal food. Clearly, 
therefore, the farmer may look upon this 
particular Gull as a friend. And how 
the fisher? It does not seem to us that 
the Cumberland experts have so success¬ 
fully handled this part of the question. 
They have tested, in an aviary, the fish¬ 
swallowing power of the Gull, and found 
it to be considerable; but from the 
examination of birds killed in the 
natural state they conclude that fish as 
a food appeared to be sparingly taken. 
No Confirmatory Fvidence. 
No proof has been found of any of 
the salmonidae being taken. This ques¬ 
tion will only be decided by the 
examination of the stomachs of birds 
shot when feeding on a river, for birds 
which go on the water remain on it for 
considerable spells. It, therefore, 
proves nothing if the stomach of Gulls 
which have been at work on the fields 
are found to contain no fish. Until the 
proof comes people who condemn the 
Black-head on suspicion should remem¬ 
ber that the Gulls as a class are not 
particularly skilful fish-catchers, for 
they cannot dive, and their pounce is 
hardly rapid enough to surprise a swiftly 
moving fish. When they wade two or 
three-inch shallows it is most probable 
that the chief objects of their search are 
the larvae of beetles and flies. 
