LIFE HISTORIES OF NORTH AMERICAN GULLS AND TERNS. 161 



cruising in the Gulf of Mexico, to pick up the few scraps that were 

 thrown overboard. Laughing gulls are frequently pursued by 

 jaegers, and in tropical waters by man-o'-war birds, and after much 

 darting, twisting, and turning they are finally forced to disgorge 

 their food. 



Behavior. — The characteristic notes of the laughing gull have been 

 well described by Mr. J. H, Langille (1884), from which I quote as 

 follows : 



From the hoarse clatter of the terns one could distinguish its long-drawn, 

 clear note, on a high key, sounding not unlike the more excited call note of the 

 domestic goose ; and every now ami then it would give its prolonged, weird 

 laughter, which has given rise to its common name. To one who has heard it 

 it might be imitated by the syllables, hah-ha-ha-ha-ha-hah-hah-hah, all of which 

 are uttered on a high, clear tone, the last three or four syllables, and espe- 

 cially the last one, being drawn out with peculiar and prolonged effect ; the 

 whole sounding like the odd and excited laughter of an Indian squaw, and 

 giving marked propriety to the name of the bird. 



The flight of the laughing gull is light and graceful, yet strong and 

 well-sustained. When migrating or flying long distances in pleasant 

 weather, they visually fly high in the air, but in stormy weather or 

 when flying against a strong wind they fly close to the water or low 

 over the land. In pleasant weather large numbers of them leave 

 their breeding places soon after sunrise, flying in flocks or long lines 

 to their feeding grounds, and return before sunset, flying low in 

 broadly extended formations. 



The laughing gulls on Muskeget Island seem to live in perfect har- 

 mony with their neighbors, the common and roseate terns. I have 

 never found any positive evidence of their eating the eggs of these 

 terns, although they eat the eggs of other species elsewhere. They 

 seem to be shyer or more timid here than at other places, and perhaps 

 they have learned that it is not safe to molest the more aggressive 

 terns. Mr. Mackay (1893) says: 



I shall not call them courageous birds, as far as I have observed them, for 

 I have frequently seen a single Sterna hirundo chase or put one to flight, which 

 would endeavor to escape without offering any resistance. I have also seen 

 four or five laughing gulls concertedly chase and put to flight a single Sterna 

 hirundo, which offered no resistance to such odds. 



These observations tend to show that the terns are the masters 

 of the situation and that the gulls simply have to respect their rights. 

 After the breeding season is over the old and young birds wander 

 about our coasts until they finally disappear on their southward mi- 

 gration about October 1. 



Winter. — The fall migration begins in August, and by the end of 

 September most of the laughing gulls have disappeared from the 

 New England coast. Many linger on the North Carolina coast 



