SUPPLEMENT TO BIRDS OF ESSEX COUNTY 



37 



birds may be seen at Ipswich Beach in June and early July that still retain the 

 dark plumage of the first winter. 



An interesting habit of the Herring Gull not described in the original Memoir 

 I have frequently seen at Ipswich Beach and have studied by means of the tracks. 

 I refer to their habit of dragging dead fish to the water before eating them. This 

 is done when the fish is dry with the object, probably, of softening it. Thus on 

 July 2, 1905, I found a hake, eighteen inches long, that had been dragged one 

 hundred and thirty-four yards from the upper beach to the edge of the water. 

 The fish was dragged head first and the gull walked backward as shown by the 

 tracks. The course at first was nearly straight but soon became very tortuous, 

 with occasional pauses. Sometimes the gull circled on its tracks, but its apparent 

 goal, the water, was finally reached. In walking backward, the gitll dragged its 

 middle claw and occasionally one of the side claws. 



On July 30, 1905, I saw an immature Herring Gull flying slowly close to the 

 water at Ipswich, when a large fish, possibly a shark, threw itself out of the water 

 at the bird. The gull quickly flew up, then circled around and dipped close to the 

 water where the fish had gone down. 



I have frequently seen Herring Gulls fly at Whistlers and Red-breasted Mer- 

 gansers as they were sitting on the water. This is done either in spite or in play 

 or to obtain some of the food that the diving birds brought up. Thus in one 

 case the gull flew at a Whistler who dove, after which the gull settled in the water 

 where the duck had been. In a few seconds the gull would fly at another duck, 

 perhaps a hundred yards ofif, and so the game went on. In this case the gull did 

 not appear to attempt to pick up any food although this is sometimes done. The 

 duck flown at would always dive before the gull reached it, but other ducks 

 would often come up and swim about close to the pirate gull, without sign of 

 fear or hostility on either part. On another occasion a Herring Gull darted down 

 at a female or young Red-breasted Merganser who turned rapidly in the water to 

 avoid it. For a few seconds they twisted and turned, making a considerable 

 turmoil in the water; then the gull settled peaceably within a few yards of the 

 Merganser. 



A still more singular instance was that observed by me on March 17, 1914. 

 This was at Chestnut Hill Reservoir, near Boston. Two female American Mer- 

 gansers and one male were swimming restlessly about in courtship. A Herring 

 Gull flew directly at one of the females and alighted on the water as she swam 

 vigorously away. Then began an active chase on the part of the gull by short 

 flights, while the Merganser by rapid turns and occasionally by diving managed 

 to elude it. Finally the Merganser came up from below close to the other two 

 Mergansers who had remained passive spectators, and, as the gull again pounced 



