GLAUCOUS GULL.
spread nut on a large, lied of rushes. It proved tn he au immature lord, probably in its first year, the plumage
being rather more darkly marked than is usually seen. The colours of the soft parfs were us follows ;—Upper
and lower mandibles a pule pink flesh ; points dark horn, almost black, though a lighter lint showed towards
the extremity : legs, toes, and webs a dirty llesb, ami nails a pale brow n; iris dark hazel.
While knocking about with the herring-fleet in the North Sea, I noticed three or four immature birds, in
company with the swarms of large Gulls, about twenty or thirty miles off the hind outside the Cross Sands ;
they, however, invariably managed to keep out of range. While sailing off the harbour at Yarmouth, on the
31st of October, 1S72, in one of the beach yawls, we observed a fine mature Glaucous in perfect adult plumage ;
the bird ap'ieurcd shy, lor although we followed it for some lime, and afterwards waited for an hour or more
in the stream of the harbour lidc, where the Gulls wen- feeding, we had no chance of gelling within range for
a shot.
The men who look after my punts and boats at Shurcham sent word into Brighton on the Iltb of
November, 1SS.1, to inform us tbnt a pair of these birds, in adult plumage, were feeding and keeping company
with a large ilock of Gulls along the shore near Lancing. It was too lafe to start when the message arrived,
and on the following morning no signs of the strangers could be delected, though we were afloaf by daylight,
and proceeded several miles along the coast towards the west, where the Gulls where then harbouring.
While punt-gunning in the Dornoch Firth, off Moraugic, Tain, and Golspie, in the winter of 18(!S, I noticed
several of this species, apparently all in immature stages, a few showing signs of a change and probably more
advanced towards maturity. These proved almost as great a nuisance a- the I ireat 1 thick-kicked Gulls ; they
carried off several Hovers that had been knocked down and run lieyond the range of the shoulder-gun, and
also repeatedly put up the Ducks while we wen- sculling to them floating quietly on the Firth, utterly
unsuspicious of danger. This species proved far more wary than their relations the Black-hacked Gulls, which
had been mostly killed down, and they consequently escaped being shot.
If I am not mistaken, there was some years ago a letter in the ' Field,' in which a traveller, who had visited
the Arctie Regions, descrilrcd a romantic attachment said to exist between the Glaucous Gull and the seal,
the Gull being supposed tn warn his friend the seal of impending danger ; I ain afraid, however, if the truth
was known, that it was only a very base kind of cupboard love. The Gull having a pleasing remembrance of
savoury chunks of seal'- blubber, which may have fallen to his share at some prei ions time. Was simply and
solely desirous of eating him, though his greediness was such that be could not wait till the fatal bullet and
knife had done their work, hut must needs commence the attack, without assistance, at the first opiiortunity.
This is my own opinion on the subject, judging from the behaviour of the larger Gulls in driving up the flocks
or wildfowl when they detect the punts setting up to them; well aware that when a shot is tired they may
have a chance of securing prey, they dash forward to seize their intended victims before the gunner is
within range. Many a shot did I lose on the Dornoch Firth, till the water had been cleared of all these
voracious birds.