90 BULLETIN 113, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



in groups on the flat, smooth sand, adults and young in several dif- 

 ferent stages of plumage, and generally a few Heermann's gulls 

 were mingled with them. It was in the height of the breeding season 

 and I wondered whether the adults had nests on the islands off the 

 coast or were birds that were not breeding that season. Some of 

 them were standing on one leg, with bills tucked under their scapu- 

 lars, sound asleep; but more of them were resting on their breasts. 

 One old male seemed to be the boss of the beach and acted as a 

 disturber of the peace by walking around, driving off the Heermann's 

 gulls and waking up all the gulls that were asleep, making them 

 move on, as a policeman does with loafers on a sidewalk. One was 

 seen playing with a feather, picking it up, letting it blow away and 

 running after it again, as if he enjoyed the fun. Occasionally one 

 would walk down to the surf line to pick up a morsel of food, to 

 drink or to bathe, and return to dry land to preen its feathers. 

 They were tamer than any large gulls I had ever seen. I had no 

 difficulty in shooting them, picking out the exact plumage that I 

 wanted to complete my series. As soon as one was shot a flock 

 gathered about me, hovering over my head with intimate curiosity ; 

 and while walking along the beach with dead gulls in my hand 

 there were always several following me, close at hand. Even about 

 the much-frequented wharves they were very unsuspicious, standing 

 on the posts and railings within 10 or 15 feet of numerous human 

 beings, in whom they justly had perfect confidence, for they are 

 never molested. About the fish houses, where men were cleaning 

 fish, they were particularly familiar, standing in rows along the 

 roofs, or on the stringers waiting for the offal to be thrown into 

 the water. No one seemed to notice them at all, but to me it was 

 a novel and interesting sight. 



There was a time when persistent egging on the Farallones was 

 reducin,g the population of western gulls, but since that has been 

 stopped they are increasing again. They are probably not much 

 disturbed on their breeding grounds and are generally protected. 

 Hence they have become familiar and useful birds on the coast, but 

 they are more of a nuisance than ever on the islands where they do 

 so much damage to other species. 



Spring. — As this gull is practically a resident throughout its 

 range, it has no well-marked migration. The spring migration 

 merely amounts to a concentration on its breeding grounds or a 

 withdrawal, and only a partial one at that, from its somewhat wider 

 winter range. In the southern portion of its breeding range in 

 Lower California this occurs early in March, in southern California 

 in April, and correspondingly later farther north. It retreats in the 

 spring from the Puget Sound region to the northern limit of its 



