^"^i^y^^^J DuTCHER, Protection of Gulls and Terns. lOI 



tic coast south of Newfoundland where such hosts of birds the size 

 of Herring Gulls can be seen at one time. In whatever direction 

 one looked the air seemed to be filled with gulls, and it was a 

 puzzle to the photographer where to point his camera ; however, a 

 photograph can only give a faint idea of the bird hosts that could 

 be seen. Efforts were made to photograph individual flying birds 

 at closer range but the surfeit of subjects was distracting. On 

 reaching the crest of the island, the large painted notice of Capt. 

 Mark Young, in full view from every direction, was seen warning 

 all persons to ' keep off ' and forbidding the firing of guns or tak- 

 ing eggs. The result of this protection was everywhere visible, 

 for a walker had to step with care or he would be in danger of 

 crushing a young bird that was hiding in the grass. The most 

 immature birds usually selected some cover under Which to hide, 

 sometimes going so far under the shade of a stump or log that 

 they looked like balls of chinchilla-colored yarn. Others were con- 

 tent with a more exposed position closer to the nest in which they 

 were hatched. The young seen in the grass were in all stages of 

 downy plumage, some just showing feathers mixed in the down, 

 others further advanced, still others that had almost left the downy 

 stage, and others whose flight feathers were quite large. In the 

 last stage before flight the birds were tailless but the plumage was 

 perfect, the down having entirely disappeared. They were large 

 strong birds and could run through the grass and among the spruces 

 as fast as a man could. It was only by cornering one on a ledge 

 of rocks that a photograph was secured. 



To show how perfect the protection on this island had been it 

 is only necessary to state that but one nest containing a set of eggs 

 was found ; further, large numbers of young of the year were seen 

 sitting, on tide ledges or in flight with groups of adult birds. A 

 nest was found containing a single egg, which illustrates one of 

 the causes of mortality among the young birds. On July i8 this 

 egg was partially hatched, one wing of the young bird having ap- 

 peared. It had been exposed long enough to be perfectly dry and 

 downy. The chick was heard inside peeping but did not seem 

 able to break through the inside membrane of the egg, which may 

 have been abnormally tough. Two days later this nest was visited, 

 and the young chick was found, but it was dead. From its ap- 



