96 BULLETIN L13, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Perhaps the most important food supply of the western gull on 

 its breeding grounds consists of the eggs of other birds, near which 

 it almost always nests. The sagacity displayed by the gulls in 

 taking advantage of the human egg hunters is well described by 

 Dr. A. L. Heermann (1859) as follows: 



At 1 o'clock every clay, during the egg season, Sundays and Thursdays ex- 

 cepted (this is to give the birds some little respite), the egg hunters meet on 

 the south side of the island. Tlie roll is called to see that all are present, 

 that each one may have an equal chance in gathering the spoil. The signal 

 is given, every man starting off at a full run for the most productive egging 

 grounds. The gulls understanding, apparently, what is about to occur, are on 

 the alert, hovering overhead and awaiting only the advance of the party. 

 The men rush eagerly into the rookeries ; the affrighted murres have scarcely 

 risen from their nests before the gull, with remarkable instinct, not to say 

 almost reason, flying but a few paces ahead of the hunter, alights on the 

 gi'ound, tapping such eggs as the short time will allow before the egger comes 

 up with him. The broken eggs are passed by the men, who remove only 

 those which are sound. The gull then returning to the field of its exploits, 

 procures a plentiful supply of its favorite food. 



I have repeatedly seen this gull drink salt water, and I believf, 

 that all ocean gulls do so, though I have heard it stated that they 

 prefer fresh water. They do not, however, like their food too salt, 

 as the following instance, related by Mr. A. W. Anthony (1906) 

 will illustrate: 



I was one day watching some western gulls, a few yards from me on a wharf, 

 when a large piece of salted fish was thrown out from an adjacent boathouse. 

 It fairly glistened with a thick incrustation of salt, and I was somewhat 

 curious to see if the gulls would eat food so highly seasoned. No sooner had 

 it fallen than it was seized upon by a gull and as quickly swallowed ; but from 

 the surprised actions of the bird it was evidently not to his liking; no sooner 

 had it reached the stomach than it was ordered out again. Dropping the fish 

 on the wharf the bird eyed it for a moment, turning its head from side to side, 

 and. to judge from its soliloquy, made a number of uncomplimentary remarks 

 on the depraved tastes of mankind that would spoil good fish in that manner. 

 Then picking up the fish it flew down to the water, and holding it under the 

 surface shook its head from side to side violently " sozzeling " the meat about 

 for several seconds. It was then taken back to the wharf, laid down aiid in- 

 spected, and carefully sampled ; this time, however, it was not bolted as at 

 first, but held for a moment in the mouth and again rejected, and carried back 

 to the water, where it was even more roughly laundered. This operation was 

 repeated several times; and the piece of fish, which must have weighted 4 

 ounces at the outset, was reduced to half that size before it reached a state of 

 freshness that suited the palate of the gulL 



Behavior. — The flight of the western gull is not unlike that of 

 other closely related species; it has the same power of sailing directly 

 into the wind, or within a few points of it, on motionless wings. I 

 have seen it travel for long distances in this manner without any 

 apparent effort. It also has the same soaring habits as other large 

 gulls, rising to great heights and circling about on outstretched 



