Vol. XXI"| 13UTCHER, Report of Committee oh Bird Protection. I C ■? 



taking short flights from the nest, and most of them were well 

 grown. Every nest seen was clearly 'occupied. Here the birds 

 breed in a piece of woods extremely difficult of penetration by 

 reason of fallen logs and a dense undergrowth of shrubs and 

 weeds. In a two acre lot 20 nests were counted, and this was a 

 small section of the area covered by the birds. Capt. Conary 

 informed me that a small colony of these birds had started 

 breeding upon White Island, owned by himself. 



"July 18, 1903, we visited Great Duck Island, and it seems 

 needless to say that the colony was in excellent condition. Not a 

 nest containing eggs was seen. The adult gulls allowed one ta 

 approach within 36 feet in some instances, and settled again as 

 soon as we had passed. The young ran before us like flocks of 

 hens, whenever we rounded a turn in the road. Mrs. Stanley, 

 wife of the warden, said, ' We had as soon any one would come 

 ashore and carry off one of our hens as to take one of the gulls.'" 



Great Duck Island is probably the most ideal spot on the Atlan- 

 tic coast for a bird colony, as it is some distance from the main- 

 land. The birds all congregate at the southernmost end of the 

 island, where the Great Duck Lighthouse is located. The head- 

 keeper of the light is the warden and is deeply interested in the 

 welfare of the colony. He reports : '' The area occupied by the 

 birds this year is materially larger than during 1902, and as near 

 as I can judge, about 3,000 young gulls were hatched and reached 

 maturity. In addition to the gulls some 2,000 Leach's Petrels 

 were also raised, besides numbers of several species of land birds. 

 The mortality among the adult and young gulls was quite heavy ; 

 the former were killed by being caught in brush or trees and the 

 latter principally by being dashed against the rocks by the heavy 

 surf. I estimate that not less than 500 gulls were killed by these 

 several causes." 



There is also a large colony of Herring Gulls on Little Duck 

 Island, the increase of the colony in 1903 being about 1,300 birds. 

 The warden, Mr. D. Driscoll, reports that the birds were not 

 molested. 



Resuming Mr. Norton's narrative : "On July 22 I was landed on 

 Matinicus Rock; fog, heavy sea and wind combined to keep me 

 here until the 28th, giving ample time to observe this interesting 

 resort for birds. 



