Vol. XXI 



1904 



DuTCHER, Report of Co7nmittee oti Bird Protection. I ^ S 



everywhere to be found, often running before us in little flocks, 

 while the earliest ones, just beginning to fly, rose and circled over 

 the island or settled again a short distance away. Some were a 

 short distance from shore with the old birds. These were the first 

 young gulls seen on the wing. Capt. Young justly takes consid- 

 erable pride in the magnitude and good condition of this colony ; 

 he runs a gang of lobster traps around the island this summer, and 

 while attending to the business of fishing, pays almost daily visits 

 to the place. This constant oversight, coupled with his determina- 

 tion to protect the birds, insures them absolute security. 



" A few Petrels were to be* found breeding here. Colonies of 

 from ID to 40 Sea Pigeons are on Green Ledge, east of Matinicus, 

 Two Bush, and Two Bush Ledge, between Matinicus and No-Mans- 

 Land. These have not been disturbed. 



" July 29, from the steamer ' Frank Jones,' examination was made 

 of the colonies of Terns on Ship and the two Barge Islands. On 

 Ship Island a colony of some size, fully equal to that seen last 

 year, was observed, and on the Western Barge 50 to 75, while on 

 the Eastern Barge 20 or 30 were ashore, and rose as we passed 

 near their resort. 



" This day was consumed in reaching Jonesport ; the following 

 one, July 30, was lost owing to a dense and persistent fog, my 

 boatman not being willing to go out. The next morning was clear 

 and an early start was made for Cone and other islands. 



" Cone Island is the least satisfactory of all the colonies. Capt. 

 O. Cummings informed me upon my arrival at his station, that the 

 gulls have not bred well this year, but many use the island as 

 a resting place. This I found to be true. Indeed, only three or 

 four gulls acted as though they were breeding, by hovering over 

 the island and cackling at our approach. The ground was so 

 swampy that no nest was found. These were the only gulls ashore. 

 On the knolls, several different ones, on the sea beach and at cer- 

 tain wet places the quantity of freshly dropped feathers bore 

 indisputable evidence of the visits of gulls habitually. It was said 

 that these visits were made during the high water, at which time 

 the birds do less fishing than on the low water. 



" I found the notices well posted. Capt. Cummings said that 

 the. only explanation he could offer for the few birds breeding was 



