22 GULLS AND TERNS 



The western gull is abundant on the California coast at all seasons. 

 At San Pedro harbor it is protected by law as a useful scavenger, 

 and at Monterey Bay is so fearless that the young will alight within a 

 few feet of the fishing boats to get what the fishermen throw out. 



On the Farallone Islands the birds assume another role. As Mr. 

 Loomis says, " a more vagabond set of gulls than the western gulls 

 inhabiting South Farallone Island during the egg season could 

 scarcely be found. They are arrant thieves, robbing the murres 

 wherever they have the opportunity." Before the murre egg indus- 

 try was stopped they took an excited part in the collections. Mr. 

 Loomis, speaking of it at the time, says that "when the eggers 

 appear on the scenes the gulls congregate and soon a large flock is 

 formed, circling about overhead with lovid cries, eagerly waiting the 

 flight of the murres to join in the pillage. When exceptionally 

 hungry the gulls are said to suddenly descend in a compact flock 

 among the murres, frightening them from the eggs. One gull was 

 seen trying to steal an egg from under a murre. The murre gave a 

 reproachful squack and with a thrust of the bill drove the gull 

 away." 



But though the gulls enjoyed the raids of the eggers, they suf- 

 fered by them, for before the murres began to lay, the men took 

 gulls' eggs to supply the market ; and when the murre harvest was 

 ripe, recognizing the gulls as rival eggers, the men destroyed both 

 their eggs and young. In addition to fish and eggs, the gulls eat 

 sea-urchins, crabs, young murres, and rabbits. 



They congregate at South Farallone Island the first of April, Mr. 

 Bryant tells us, and proceed to nest in small colonies. It takes them 

 two weeks to repair their old nests, and even after the first egg is 

 laid they may be seen carrying Farallone weed to the nest. 



51. Larus argentatus Brilnn. Herring Gull. 



Adults in summer. — Mantle delicate pearl gray ; five outer primaries 

 black toward ends, and tipped with white ; a distinct gray wedge on inner 

 web of second qnill ; rest of plumage white ; bill yellow, with red spot near 

 end of lower mandible ; feet pale flesh color. Adults in winter : head and 

 neck streaked with grayish. Young: brownish g'ray; head and neck 

 streaked with white ; back mottled with buffy and gray ; quills and tail 

 blackish ; bill dusky, feet purplish. Length : 22.50-26.00, wing 17.24, bill 

 2.24, depth of bill through angle of lower mandible .68-.85. 



Distribution. — Northern hemisphere, including the whole of North 

 America ; south in winter to Cuba and Lower California ; breeding from 

 the Great Lakes northward. 



Nest. — On rocks or in trees, made mainly of grass, seaweed, and earth. 

 JEggs : usually 3, from pale olive drab to greenish or bluish white, irregu- 

 larly spotted with lilac, yellowish, or brown, markings usually thickest 

 about larger end. 



The herring gulls are abundant in the bays of San francisco and 



