134 Anthony, Pacific Coast Gulls. [ April 



closed down with a snap and caught the intruder, which in turn had 

 caught the fish; neither would yield any advantages gained, and 

 for perhaps half a minute the pelican towed the gull about by the 

 head, amid most violent protest from a hundred or more gulls 

 assembled, while other pelicans sat like solemn judges, perhaps 

 offering to arbitrate the question. At last a more violent twist 

 than usual on the part of the gull freed him from limbo, minus a 

 few feathers, but in no manner daunted, for a moment later it was 

 following closely in the wake of the same pelican, waiting for it to 

 plunge for another fish, and I never did learn which really swallowed 

 the one in controversy. There would seem to be a certain amount 

 of proprietorship exercised on the part of the gulls over the pelican 

 selected, for they will follow for hours the same bird, and though a 

 hundred or more may be fishing in the same flock they will each be 

 in a great measure attended by one or two, seldom more, gulls, and 

 little attempt is made to leave one pelican in favor of another; such 

 abandoned birds are usually those that have become satisfied and 

 are no longer fishing. I have on several occasions seen large flocks 

 of pelicans fishing at night and the whining cat-like cry of the Heer- 

 mann's Gull proved that it was, as always, on hand to get his share. 

 The Western Gull will sometimes attempt to emulate the Heer- 

 mann's, but his greater bulk renders him comparatively harmless 

 to the pelican. 



When herring are swimming in compact schools near the surface 

 both Heermann's and Western Gulls secure them by approaching 

 the school from behind and flying near the surface of the water, 

 making repeated, quick dips into the school. The fish seek safety 

 in the depths the instant anything occurs to alarm them, but soon 

 return to the surface, so that the gulls by stalking them from the 

 rear are enabled to approach quite near before the fish are alarmed. 

 As soon as the limits of the school has been passed the gull, rising 

 higher in the air, returns by a wide circuit and again passes over 

 the school from the rear. As the fish all swim in one direction, in 

 a compact mass, these tactics afford the gulls a decided advantage, 

 which seems to be thoroughly understood. I think that the Heer- 

 mann's Gull secures about one out of five fish that are snapped at 

 and the Western half as many. Royal Terns and the other gulls 

 employ these same methods but to a less extent. 



