LIFE HISTORIES OF NORTH AMERICAN GULLS AND TERNS. 107 



for coolness and shade. Audubon (1840), speaking of the herring 

 gulls breeding in trees at Grand Manan, says : 



The most remarkable effect produced by these changes of locality is that the 

 young which are hutched in the trees or high rocks do not leave the nests until 

 they are able to fly. 



This is conspicuously the case at Perce Rock in the Gaspe Peninsula 

 and on the lofty cliffs of Bonaventure Island and Bon Ami. 



One of the parents guards the young during the first week or two 

 of life, repelling intruders, and the young are brooded and shielded 

 from the sun. 



R. M. Strong (1914) describes the feeding of young only a few 

 hours old as follows : 



The adult bird did not insert its bill in the mouth of its offspring, but the 

 latter took food from the ground just below the bill of the parent. * * * 

 A quantity of food in a fine and soft condition was disgorged In more or less 

 of a heap. 



Meyer writes that " in feeding the very young bird the parent 

 holds the food in the bill and the young bird picks it out. The 

 older birds take their food from the ground, where it is placed by the 

 parents." Ward (1906) thus describes the feeding of young nearly 

 able to fly : 



The young comes in front of an adult and with a bowing and courtesyir»,i 

 movement puts up its bill to that of the old one, continuing the bowing fo. 

 several minutes, resting between times. Sometimes it took hold of the adulft, 

 bill with its own ; at other times merely touched bills. When the adult opened 

 its mouth the young put its bill within. Failing to get indications of food it 

 went to another adult, and repeated the operation, passing in succession to 

 several, until at length it seemed to get some favorable signs, for it remained by 

 this one, alternately begging and resting. After some time, it was apparent to 

 me that the adult was striving to regurgitate. It would open its mouth, 

 stretch its neck nearly horizontally, then bring its head down to the 

 ground. * * * Perhaps half an hour after these efforts began I saw a por- 

 tion of a fish appear in its mouth, and a moment later it was deposited on the 

 groxind, where the young promptly seized it. The fish appeared to be a Iierring 

 about 7 or 8 inches long and so mascerated that it readily fell apart. 



I have observed adults at Perce Rock very promptly regurgitate 

 for their young on alighting near them. 



This feeding is done by both parents ; and even after the young are 

 able to gain a fair livelihood by their own exertions, and have gath- 

 ered in companies by themselves, they are ever on the alert to beg 

 food not only from their own parents, but from any adult that may 

 come in their way. It is thought by some that the adults in their 

 turn feed any that come along, but it is probable that the adults 

 recognize their own offspring and as a rule refuse to feed any other, 

 except when they are so set upon by the mob of clamorous young 

 that they must perforce submit. The young are fed for at least five 



