88 HERRING GULL. 



■wardlv bj tlie use of feet, wings, and bill. For this rea- 

 son it nests near the water's edge, often where it can 

 slide from the eggs directly into its true element. The 

 nest is a slight depression in the earth, in which are laid 

 two elliptical eggs, in color olive-browu, slightly sj^otted 

 with blackish. 



LONG- WINGED SWIMMERS. (ORDER LONGIPENNES.) 



Gulls and Terns. (Family Larid.e.) 



I^o birds are more widely distrilmted than the Gnlls 



and Terns. Some species are pelagic, visiting the land 



„ . „ „ only at long intervals and when nest- 

 HernngGull, • "^ ^i ^r . ,, , i 



Larm arqtutattis ^ug '•, otliers live aiong the coast, and 



smithsonianus. several species resort to mland waters. 

 '''^" ■ About one hundred species are known, 



fifty being Gulls and iifty Terns. The former are, as a 

 rule, larger, stouter birds than the latter, and, generally 

 speaking, are more maritime. The commonest of the ten 

 species found in tlie Eastern States is the Herring Gull. 

 It nests from Maine northward, and is found southward 

 along our coast from October 1 to April. This is the 

 Gull we see in such numljers in our ])ays and harbors, 

 flying gracefully and apparently aimlessly about, l)ut in 

 reality ever keeping its bright black eyes tixed on the 

 water in search of some floating morsel, which it deftly 

 picks from the surface. It frequently follows vessels, 

 hanging over the stern day after day, and deserting its 

 post only to feed on scraps thro^^oi overboard from the 

 galley. There are said to be reliable records of these 

 birds folloAving the same vessel from the Ii-ish coast to 

 New York Harbor. 



Gulls do excellent service in devouring much refuse 

 that would otherwise be cast ashore to decay ; but, useful 



