*^ X914 J Strong, Habits of the Herring Gull. 41 



to places for hiding. On reaching shore all young birds able to 

 leave their nests will be found hiding except those that have taken 

 to the w ater. Those able to fly are pretty sure to join the adults in 

 flying overhead, or they often alight on the water at some distance. 

 This hiding instinct has been described in some detail by Dutcher 

 and Baily. 



At Gull Island in Lake Superior, I frequently saw half grown 

 gulls running headlong over the rocky surface of the island after 

 being removed from their hiding places. They would often fall ten 

 or more feet over ledges to rocks below without any apparent injury 

 or significant delay in their rush for the water. 



According to my observations the young gull, when attempt- 

 ing to hide, especially if still in the down plumage, will remain 

 perfectly quiet until it is handled or removed from its hiding place. 

 After being disturbed in this way, however, the hiding instinct seems 

 to be replaced by an impulse to flee and the bird, if not checked, 

 will run in headlong fashion until it reaches water or gains a posi- 

 tion where it is really out of sight, a number of rods away. Usu- 

 ally when such a bird reaches the water it will swim some dis- 

 tance from shore. I have observed the same behavior in the young 

 of the Wilson's and Roseate Terns, Sterna hirundo, and S. dougalli. 

 The Laughing Gull, Larus atricilla, apparently shows the same 

 behavior, but I have not studied the habits of this species enough 

 to make a complete comparison. Probably this hiding behavior is 

 common to most species of the whole order, under similar circum- 

 stances. 



In the case of the gulls hatched in tree nests, the behavior must of 

 course be different. It is hardly conceivable that the young in 

 tree nests as high as fifty feet above the ground, as some have been 

 stated to be, can leave their nests before the flight feathers are well 

 developed. Concerning this point we find Dutcher and Baily ^ 

 saying: "The young in tree nests also seem to have sense enough 

 not to walk off the edge of the nest, for in 1902 Mr. Baily found 

 young at least ten days old in a tree nest." 



As viewed from my tent, the young gulls appeared to spend 

 most of their time standing idly about waiting for food. The 



I op. cit., p. 422. 



