Not like the tempest of noise that may be heard at the
breeding-season at Lundy Island, and at
Many other stations
where birds of several species mix their various voices - the
yammeris and the yowlis, and skrykking, screeking, skrymming
scowlis, and meickle moyes and shoutes, of old Dunbar's
wonderful onomatopoetic lines. Here there was only one
species, with a clear resonant cry, and as every bird uttered
that one cry, and no other, a totally different effect was
produced. The herring-gull and lesser black-backed gull
resemble each other in language as they do in general
appearance; both have very powerful and clear voices unlike
the guttural black-headed and common gull. But the
herring-gull has a shriller, more piercing voice, and
resembles the black-backed species just as, in human voices, a
boy's clear treble resembles a baritone. Both birds have a
variety of notes; and both, when the nest is threatened with
danger, utter one powerful importunate cry, which is repeated
incessantly until the danger is over. And as the birds breed
in communities, often very populous, and all clamour together,
the effect of so many powerful and unisonant voices is very
grand; but it differs in the two species, owing to the quality
of their voices being different; the storm of sound produced
by the black-backs is deep and solemn, while that of the
herring-gulls has a ringing sharpness almost metallic.
It is probable that in the case I am describing the effect of
sharpness and resonance was heightened by the position of the
birds, perched motionless, scattered about on the face of the
perpendicular wall of rock, all with their beaks turned in
my direction, raining their cries upon me.
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