THE MUSEUM. 



A Monthly Magazine Devoted to Research in Natural Science. 



Vol. \' 



ALBION, N. Y.. APRIL 15. 1899 



No. 6 



A Monthly Magazine devoted to Ornithology, 



Oology, MoUusca, Echinodermata, 



Mineralogy and Allied 



Sciences. 



Walter F. Webb, Editor and Manager 

 Albion. N. Y. 



Correspond euce and items of interest on above top- 

 ics, as well as notes on the various Museuins of the 

 WorlJ— views from same, discoveries relative to the 

 handling and Ueeplnt' of Natural History material, 

 deserlplive hablus of various species, are solicited 

 from all. 



Make articles as brief as possible and as free from 

 technical terms as the s\itijects will allow. All letters 

 will be promptly auswered. 



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Snttr*<t It' Att>ion i,"^''>jHct: at ffconii-clati^- mail matttr 



The Gulls and Ternsof Sagadahoc 

 County, Maine. 



The most favorable time for observ- 

 ing individual characteristics of many 

 of the birds which inhabit our sea 

 coast, says Mr. H. L. Spinney in the 

 Journal of the Maine Ornilltological 

 Soeiety, is during the severe storms 

 which visit it in late fall, winter and 

 early spring. It is then, when n.a.i 

 with all the reason and ingenuity at 

 his command is helpless to conquer 

 the storm, that these smaller represen- 

 tatives of the animal kingdom are to 

 be seen forcing their way against the 

 wind, apparently with little exertion, 

 or riding on the crest of the fiercest 

 waves with perfect security. 



In the morning as soon as it is light 



enough to see, we will repair to some 

 promontory which presents its side to 

 the storm. If it divides two large 

 hays we shall get the best results, as 

 the birds flying across the leeward bay 

 with the wind quartering ahead grad- 

 ually make leeway and to double the 

 headland must fly for a longer or 

 shorter distance parallel with the 

 shore, thus bringing them within range 

 of the collector and allowing him to 

 secure many species, which without 

 these circumstances, it would be al- 

 most impossible to do. The wind 

 blowing a gale, interspersed with rain 

 squalls, and the dull crash of the sea 

 as it breaks in all its fury on the rock- 

 bound shore, fills us with awe at the 

 power of these elements As we peer 

 through the mist from the breakers, 

 our attention is attracted to a bird, 

 which, with slow strokes of the wings, 

 slowly approaches, following the 

 shore, now rising in air and again 

 with motionless wings gliding with 

 rapidity into the hollow of the sea, 

 rising just in time to avoid the crest of 

 the wave which breaks, leaving a 

 track of while foam behind. 



We at once recognize tliis bird to be 

 the Herring Gull (Larus argentatus 

 smithsonianusj. How easily it breasts 

 the gale, nowwiih motionless wings, 

 then suddenly swooping down to the 

 crest of a wave to secure some marine 

 object which is brought to the surface. 

 So easily is this done that we think 

 tht^e environments must be necessary 

 for lis existence. 



Sometimes it will hover over some 

 submerged ledge, where amid the 

 sf ething foam, its cjuick eje detects 

 s(.me fish or crustacean which has be- 

 ef me disabled by the sea. At this 

 lime perhaps no other gull may be 

 seen, but should the one mentioned 



