HABITS OF THE HERRING GULL—STRONG. 501 
weather there appears to be considerable water drinking by brooding 
birds. The gull which appears in plate 5, figure 2, was studied care- 
fully from my tent for several hours on June 26, which was a very 
warm day. During the middle of the day this bird made trips to 
the beach edge for water so frequently that I timed some of the 
periods. I found that the intervals between drinks varied from 3 to 
10 minutes. There was more or less bathing each time the bird went 
to water. I did not note any water drinking by gulls not brooding at 
the breeding place. 
My captive gulls seemed to need very little water to drink in cold 
weather. During the first winter it was my practice to take warm 
water to the gull yard, which would not freeze over immediately. In 
the winter of 1911-12 the temperature was below 0° F. for some weeks, 
and during quite a portion of this time there was neither snow nor ice 
in the place occupied by the gulls. No other opportunities were pres- 
ent for the gulls to secure water than in their food or in the very slight 
amount of water which adhered to the food, mostly liver. I never 
saw any evidence of interest in the water which I brought to the gulls 
and they seemed to thrive without it. 
X. PERCHING. 
The herring gull, being a web-footed bird, would not be expected 
to have a perching habit, nevertheless it does perch sometimes, after 
afashion. Oneof my captive gulls may be seen in plate 10 perched on 
the side of the swimming tank, a position not infrequently assumed 
by these birds on leaving the water. On July 29 I saw herring gulls 
perched in the foliage of the upper outermost branches of tall trees 
on one of the Strawberry Islands. They did not remainthere long and 
they presented the appearance of standing on foliage rather than on 
single limbs. 
Other observers have reported seeing herring gulls perched in trees. 
Of course there is no such gripping of the perch by the feet of a gull 
as is done by a true perching bird. 
XI. COMPARISON OF DIURNAL AND NOCTURNAL BEHAVIOR. 
As Herrick ' has well said, there is no repose by day or night in a 
gull colony. Adults take naps at all hours, either while on the nest 
or standing near. Often they simply doze, with the head drawn close 
to the body and the eyes shut, or the bill may be tucked inside a wing 
with the eyes either open or closed in view. During the day groups 
of gulls stand about dozing, as may be seen in plate 8, figure 2. 
In order to get an idea of the entire daily cycle of activities at a 
gull-breeding place, I spent a night at one of the Strawberry Islands. 
1 Herrick, F. H., The home life of wild birds. Revised ed., 1905, p. 112, Putnam’s Sons, New 
York and London. 
