A492 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1914. 
in practically the same line and in a remarkably stiff manner. The whole perform- 
ance is so machinelike in its rigidity and precision of motion that the gulls appear 
like a lot of automatons. 
I have adopted Ward’s term ‘‘the challenge”’ for this ery. 
I made a number of records of the performance, and I add a few 
details to Ward’s description. Just before the head is raised a single 
note which may be of appreciable duration is often made. This 
I tried to represent in my notes by the syllable ‘‘keeé.”’ It is fol- 
lowed by a series of high and shrill notes as described by Ward. 
I finally settled on the following representation in my notes: 
‘‘keee, kee’ ek, kee’ ek, kee’ ek, ke, ek, kee’ ek, ete.’’ The e in kee 
is sounded as insee and this syllable is accented. The first note is 
‘longer. Although this noise seemed to take more time, I found on 
using a watch that it occupies only a few seconds. The performance, 
may, however, be repeated more than once during the course of a 
few minutes, when other gulls are ‘‘challenging.”’ 
In my experience the ‘‘challenge’”’ call is usually made by a bird 
on or about the ground, but I haye often heard swimming or flying 
birds make this noise. All of these situations are shown in plate 7, 
where a number of birds are seen in the performance. The three 
birds on land at the left and in front give the best idea of the usual 
position. 
Good pictures of gulls indulging in the ‘‘challenge’’ appear in both 
Herrick’s and Ward’s accounts of the habits of these birds. 
Concerning the significance of the ‘‘challenge’’ performance, hitle 
more than opinions can be offered. It may sometimes be made 
when other individuals are frantically indulging in the ‘‘alarm cry.” 
I have noted individuals going through this performance while flying 
about in the general panic which took place when I was landing at 
an island where gulls were breeding. This behavior often seems 
to indicate a belligerent attitude and it then well deserves the term 
‘‘defiance cry’’ or ‘‘challenge.’’ My observations lead me to agree 
with Ward in saying: 
Anything that startles the gull without producing a panic, or the proximity of 
fighting birds, or even at times the approach of other gulls seems to be sufficient 
cause for its production. 
The first efforts by my captive gulls at ‘‘challenging’’ were made 
in their first autumn. The same positions were taken, and the sounds 
made were as similar as the first crowing efforts of a young rooster 
are to the crow of a mature cock. Each time the performance, which 
occurred only a few times in my presence until the spring of 1914, © 
was begun without warning, and it was over in a few seconds. On 
each occasion a contest over food was in progress, although the bird 
making the noise was not always engaged in the struggle. Contests 
over food are exceedingly frequent, however, and the usual sounds 
