88 Bird - Lore
ably resorted to, by each young Gull that we picked up and set upon its feet. The bird first voided a large quantity of illvsmelling ofial; then, after some gaping and wrenching of the neck, disgorged a cropful of half- digested fish, after which it would scramble away to find another hiding- place.
Amongst the old birds flying about, very few dark-colored young were seen.
The day of our visit was cloudless and still; the heat was intense; and this, with the stench of addled eggs, decaying fish and excrement dropped by the young and by the old birds circling overhead, together with the swarm of minute flies present everywhere, made the place as unpleasant as it was interesting.
As we passed other islands of the group, we saw a number of young Gulls swimming in the shelter of the rocks and attended by the parent birds‘ These were doubtless the more mature young, which had taken to the water upon our approach.
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HERRING GUI.I.s
