GULLS AND TERNS OP NEW ENGLAND. 1 3 



come to the surface, and act as unfailing guides to the slow 

 moving fishing boats. On the blue fish grounds, a dozen 

 catboats may often be seen sailing idly about, as if having 

 no particular business there. The occupants are on the 

 watch, not for fish, but for terns. One is seen in the dis- 

 tance hovering for an instant, then diving. Another bird 

 sees him and almost at once a flock has gathered, darting 

 and screeching, picking the minnows from the surface, as 

 the blue fish drive them from below. By this time, every 

 cat boat is headed toward the scene, and the unsuspecting 

 blue fish is apt to find himself in the boat. 



The poor little fish have a hard life, between the raven- 

 ous monsters in the water and the no less cruel birds of the 

 air. One may often look over the side of the boat and see 

 thousands of minnows swimming alongside for protection. 

 Ivittle they would get even there if they were large enough 

 to make man a mouthful. 



Tern methods of feeding their young are very interest- 

 ing. When old enough to fly they are led to some favor- 

 ite rock and left there most of the time. The old bird com- 

 ing with food is seen from afar off and greeted by the 3'oung- 

 sters in the usual bird fashion, by cries and fluttering wings. 

 The little fish or insect is usually dropped in passing, the 

 young ones quickly snapping it up, for the old bird seldom 

 stops for conversrtion. Terns are not sentimental creatures 

 but probably their affections are just as deep as other bird's, 

 though covered up bj' brusque manners. 



At a later period, when the 3'oung are old enough to 

 cruise with the flock, the old bird feeds them in a very 

 pretty way. She alights gently on the water, and with 

 head up and wings extended over her back, waits for the 

 3'oung bird to snatch the little fish from her bill as he passes 

 in flight. 



Both gulls and terns nest in large colonies, indeed, they 

 are sociable birds at all seasons. Their architecture is 



