in the air, and very seldom alight in our neighbourhood.
After a long flood, however, especially in January and
February, we often have many hundreds, sometimes
thousands, of this and other species of Gulls, feeding
ravenously upon the drowned earthworms in our
water-meadows; and during March, April, and May
many Herring-Gulls pass from S.W. to N.E. in small
flocks without lingering.
The favourite nesting-places of this species are the
ledges and small plateaux on the sea fronts of high
cliffs; but they not infrequently take possession of flat
islands for breeding-purposes. The nest is usually
composed of coarse grass or rushes. The eggs, three
or four in number, are generally hatched by the middle
of June; and in the latter fortnight of July numbers
of young Gulls may be found on the water, well able
to fly, but often unable to mount to the nesting-ledges,
and easy of capture with a boat. A Herring-Gull is
a useful bird in a kitchen-garden, and during open
weather will " keep himself" upon worms, slugs, and
mice, whilst almost any kitchen refuse or offal is
greedily devoured at all times. In a wild state the
Herring-Gull is, according to my experience, not so
much addicted to carrion as several others of its congeners,
though by no means very particular in its
diet. I recollect to have noticed two or three Lesser
Black-backed Gulls greedily engaged upon a drowned
and putrid cat upon a certain well-known sea-strand in
Devon, whilst the Herring-Gulls, of which there were
many about the spot, seemed to take no notice of this