AN INTELLIGENT GULL. [To TOR EDITOR or rem "Brre7■7011.."1 San,—A
few weeks ago a strange thing happened to me on the Oddicombe Beach in this neighbourhood that might perhaps be of some interest to your readers should you think it worthy of a place in the Spectator. Being fond of the animal creation, I have always found it easy to make friends with many kinds of wild creatures, birds or beasts, and have often been amazed at the memory and intelligence they show after a few friendly interviews. For some time now two or three of the gulls that frequent the coast here have been very constant in their attentions, and it is of one of them especially that I would now tell. Very often of late this bird (' Joey ' by name) has evidently been on the look-out for me, as one who provides little bits of bun or cake for his delight, and has flown down from the cliffs to greet me, almost brushing my shoulders with his wings, and settling down by my side on the grass or rocks. On Saturday, April 25th, I passed over Petitor to the Oddicombe Beach, but saw no sign of my friend until, just as I reached the stones, the gull came with a great rush from half-way up the cliff down to my very feet. I sat down at once on the shingle, with 'Joey' by my side, and gave him a few bits of cake. Presently he began " potter- ing about" the bank of shingle near, and then, returning to me, began pulling my coat with his beak. "What's the matter, Joey' P" said I; "what do you want? " and I offered him another bit of cake, of which be took no notice, hut walked a foot or two away in the direction where he had been before," pottering about "; then, coming back rather hurriedly pulled my finger with his beak. He then went over the shingle again for about a yard, and began picking at something partly hidden in the stones. Leaning over to see what the bird was doing, I discovered, to my utter astonishment, that he was peeking at a little ivory box, which belonged to me, and that was generally kept in my pocket, holding lozenges, but which I bad lost some three or four days before! I had not the least idea where I had lost the box, and had been making inquiries in Torquay respecting it, thinking I must have left it inadver- tently in some shop or reading-room. Little did I imagine that any lost boabonniere would be restored to me through the medium of my friend 'Joey' the gull. Now, could this have been merely a curious coincidence, or was it not rather a wonderful instance of memory and intelli- geneeP The only time that I can recall in which Joey must have previously seen my ivory box was about five weeks previously, when one day on the rocks at Oddicombe' Joey'ca rue and sat down by me, looking as usual for cake. Not having anything of that sort with me, I took out my box and opened it close to' Joey,' and gave him a small piece of chocolate that happened to be in it, which he took in his beak, but refused Io eat. That is the only occasion that I can think of in which 'Joey' and my box ever came close together. That gulls have wonderful eyesight is well known, and I understand also that they have great powers of scent; but what the reasoning powers were that led this bird to draw my attention to my lost ivory box is somewhat of a mystery.—I am, Sir, &e.,
V. F. Bows, Limit-Colonel. Argotti, Babbacombe, Torquay.
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