“The gull’s flight is quite different. Sometimes he flies so lazily that he does not seem to move onwards at all. Then all of a sudden he darts down into the water to seize his prey. Sometimes he flaps his great white wings and wheels swiftly away, flying in great circles until he is a mere speck in the distance. The gull has a very sharp eye. Watch!” Uncle George threw a piece of bread into the sea. At once about a score of gulls pounced upon it, screaming loudly. Uncle George waited until they flew away. Then he threw them a piece of wood. None of the gulls came near it. “You see,” he went on, “they can tell a piece of bread from a piece of wood at a great distance.” “Then they do not live entirely on fish,” said Frank, as his uncle threw them another piece of bread. [Illustration: Gull feeding.] “Oh, no, Frank, the gull is by no means dainty about his food. Nor does he live all the year round at the sea. Great flocks of gulls fly inland in spring and autumn. Then they live on worms, grubs, and whatever else can be picked up in the fields. [Illustration: SEA-GULLS AND TERN] “We have a fine chance now, boys, of watching the gull. See, there are some walking on the sand quite close to us, some are floating idly on the sea, some are flying all round us. They think, no doubt, we have lots of bread for them. Now then, boys, tell me about the common gull.” [Illustration: Gull at rest on the water.] “He is a large bird,” said Tom. “His body is white in colour, all but his wings and back. These are of a pale bluish-grey.” “Very good, Tom,” said Uncle George. “Come on, Frank.” “He has a large, greyish-green bill. The tip of it is hooked in shape, and yellow. His legs are greenish-grey. The three front toes of his feet are webbed.” “But,” said Tom, “I can see other gulls darker in colour. Their bodies are dark brown and grey above and light brown below. What are they?” “They are the young gulls, Tom. They have not got rid of their nest feathers yet.” “Where do they build their nests?” Dolly asked. “High up on the cliffs, and on lonely rocky islands. Like the rooks, they all nest together. The gull’s nest is a very simple thing. It is just a hole scraped in the ground and covered with dried grass. Here two, or perhaps three, spotted eggs are laid. The gull is very fond of her young. She will not allow them to try to fly from the high cliff. She carries them one by one on her back down to the sea, and there teaches them to swim. “Some gulls—the _black-headed gull_, for example—go far inland to nest. These build their nests on the shores of small hill lakes. They return to the sea with their young ones in autumn. “Gulls are clever birds. They are bold and active. The wild ocean is their home. Storms bring no fears for them.” Exercises and Questions.