1914 J Strong, Habits of the Htrring Gull. 37 



young for several hours after hatching or until they are able to run 

 about. Often on a hot day, one of the parents would sirnply stand 

 over the newly hatched nestlings shading them from the sun. 

 Plate X, Fig. 1. The other parent was usually near by and it 

 would change places with its mate at intervals. 



I doubt whether there is much covering of the young for more 

 than a day or two after hatching, in pleasant weather. No observa- 

 tions were made in bad weather of the treatment of very young 

 birds. 



The eggs (see Plate VII, Fig. 1) have been fully described by many 

 writers, especially in general works on birds. Detailed descriptions 

 are given by Dutcher and Baily of some of the very numerous and 

 great variations. Good descriptions occur in Ward's paper. 



4. Care of young. — Concerning the care of the young by their 

 parents, much remains to be learned. The brooding and shading 

 of the newly hatched young has just been described. I obtained 

 considerable evidence that both birds participate in feeding the 

 young. According to Herrick,^ the young gull receives its first 

 food in about one hour after hatching, at the nest. 



The larger juvenals tease vigorously for food when hungry and 

 the whole feeding performance for a young gull more than a few 

 days old has been well described by Ward ^: "The young comes in 

 front of an adult and with a bow'ing and courtesying movement 

 put up its bill to that of the old one, continuing the bowing for 

 several minutes, resting between times. Sometimes it took hold 

 of the adult's bill with its own, at other times merely touched bills. 

 When the adult opened its mouth the young put its bill within. 

 Failing to get indications of food, it went to another adult, and 

 repeated the operation, passing in succession to several, until at 

 length it seemed to get some favorable signs, for it remained by this 

 one, alternately begging and resting. After some time it was ap- 

 parent to me that the adult was striving to regurgitate. It would 

 open its mouth, stretch its neck nearly horizontally, then bring its 

 head down to the ground. After a moment it will close its bill, 

 turn its head to one side and look at the ground over which it had 



1 Intemat. Zool. Congress Report, op. clt. 

 » op. cit., p. 121. 



