254 NOTES ON BIRDS PALMER. 



occur SO frequently iu this region. At Fogo Island we were told that 

 the nests were placed upon the lower branches of the spruce trees on 

 the islets in the lakes; but at Mingan Islands, where the birds were 

 very abundant, and but little disturbed, numerous nests were found 

 on the ground under trees and near the edges of ponds. 



Some of the nests were simply depressions in the top of hillocks of 

 moss; others were evidently similar depressions on patches of dead 

 grass and other plants, but in most cases the birds had drawn some of 

 the dried grass and even sticks around them as they sat on the eggs. 

 At the time of our visit the young had all left the nests, but a few were 

 found concealed among the rocks and bushes, although most of the 

 young of the season were flying overhead. On one of the Mingan 

 Islands, which is heavily wooded, hundreds of the gulls might be seen 

 in the evening roosting on the tall evergreen trees, but on another 

 island, which is entirely destitute of trees, the birds roost in immense 

 numbers on the high ground, keeping up all night a continual babel 

 of sounds which can be heard several miles. 



The well-fattened young of this species may be said to form a not 

 insignificant part of the winter diet of the Newfoundland fisherman at 

 outlying places. Capt. J. W. Collins in an interesting paper on sea- 

 birds, in the report of the U. S. Fish Commission for 1882, alludes to 

 this habit of the coast fisherman as follows : 



It may be of interest to mention in this connection that the coast fishermen of New- 

 foundland capture the young of the sea-gulls (generally of the larger species) while 

 they are yet nestlings, and carefully rear them until they are full grown, feeding 

 there: chiefly on fish. A single family may have a dozen or twenty of these young 

 birds. I have frequently seen ten or a dozen young gulls in a pen at Bellorara, For- 

 tune Bay, and there were a number of such pens in the little village. In many places 

 on the Newfoundland coast these birds, I have been told, occupy the same place 

 that with us is filled by the domestic fowls. Instead of the conventional turkey for 

 the holidays, the coast fisherman is satisfied with the young and fat gulls which he 

 has raised. 



I have been unable to find any other published account of the utili- 

 zation of the young of this species as food. While the Grmnpus was at 

 Little-Seldom-Come-By Harbor, Fogo Island, I had an opportunity of 

 examining a pen of these birds, which are kept in the same manner as 

 one keeps pigs. The birds, of which there were eight of different sizes, 

 belonged to an apj)arently prosperous fisherman. A corner of the gar- 

 den had been converted into a pen about 5 feet square. Wishing to 

 obtain a specimen of the young, I made known to the good housewife 

 my reasons for desiring one, but she simply could not understand that I 

 wanted it as a sjiecimen, so the husband was called in and the matter ex- 

 jdained. After considerable talk and explanation, and the promise on 

 my part that if they would visit the vessel I would be only too glad to 

 recompense them with some powder and shot, I succeeded in obtaining 

 their consent to select a specimen. I doubt if to this day they have 

 been able to comprehend my reasons for desiring the specimen. 



