THE OTTAWA f(ATURALIST. 



Vol. XV. OTTAWA, OCTOBER, 1901. No. 7. 



SOME OF THE BIRDS OF ALGOMA. 



(Read before the Ornithological section of the Entomolojfical Society of 



Ontario.) 



By C. T. Scott, Aylmer, Onl. 



We were a party of four who had planned to spend our 

 summer vacation in the wilderness of Alg-oma. We took boat at 

 Collingwood for Killarney, and during^ this twenty-four hour trip, 

 not the least of our pleasure was in watching- the gulls which sailed 

 around the boat with an air of proprietorship. When doing 

 justice to the excellent menu of the boat, \ve did not forget these 

 birds, but invariably carried off some tid-bits to make sport tor 

 them. When a morsel was dropped into the water, the nearest 

 gull turned in a short but graceful curve until he stood just tip- 

 toe on the waves, deftly picked up the food, then rising would 

 almost regain his place at the head of the flock. When the birds 

 were close together there would be a race for the food, and some 

 of them would drop with a hovering movement of the wings 

 striking the water with a splash in their eagerness to be first. 

 But never could we deceive them. They could distinguish a chip 

 or a piece of paper at the highest altitude. Occasionally some 

 noisy one would straighten out his neck, open a capacious mouth, 

 and utter a cry decidedly irritating to the nerves. One gull, of 

 dark gray colour — so dark as to look black when at a distance — 

 seemed particularly anxious to exhibit his musical talents. At 

 nightfall they dropped behind resting upon the water, but they 

 were following us again in the morning with the earliest streaks 

 of day. 



