^"I'o^^l UuTCHER AND Baily, Habit!, of the Herring Gull. 4^3 



The rapidity of growtli of tlie chicks is very remarkable, and is 

 illustrated in the accompanying photograph (Plate XXII), show- 

 ing the comparative size of an ^gg and a chick sixty hours old. 



On June 25, 1901, the young were hatching very rapidly; a 

 superficial census was taken of a portion of the east colony, and ten 

 nests with young were found. Capt. Stanley wrote under date of 

 July 26, 1 90 1, that " some of the young birds are flying over the 

 rocks with the help of their legs for a kick now and then." These 

 probably were those first hatched, which would indicate that they 

 begin to fly in from thirty to forty days. 



At the time of the 1902 visit hundreds of young were present; 

 these, when approached, even from a great distance, all ran to 

 hiding places under the long grass, logs, or bark, behind rocks, 

 or wherever they could find a place to poke their heads out of 

 sight. They are very easy to find, as some part of the body is 

 generally in view. Sometimes four or five will be found under 

 one fallen log or decayed stump. The parents are on the wing 

 above as long as a person is in evidence, but on the intruder hid- 

 ing for a short time, they settle down, one at a time, upon their 

 favorite perches, on top of the trees or dead stumps, rocks, etc., 

 and apparently after some vocal communication to their young, the 

 latter begin to back out of their hiding places and strut about, 

 picking at objects on the ground, and now and then chasing after 

 their parents, squeaking for something to eat. 



Regarding the food of the young birds but little evidence can 

 be offered, but that is very direct and positive. Young birds on 

 two occasions, when being handled, vomited their stomach con- 

 tents, which were preserved in separate bottles with alcohol. Five 

 samples of stomach contents were obtained in all, which were sent 

 to the Biological Survey in Washington. Dr. Sylvester D. Judd, 

 of that Department, furnished a report of his examination, which 

 is as follows : 



No. I. Lams argentatus^ Duck Island, June 22, 1901. Contents: 

 Muscle, bones, scales, and digestive tract of a fish not more tlian 4 inches 

 long, 100%. Total amount, 100% animal matter. 



No. 2. Larus argetitatns, Duck Island, June 23, 1901. Contents: 5 

 blow flies {Callipiiora vojiiitoria), 25%; 3 moths, one of them a noctuid, 

 11;%; I Ajiisodactylus (carabid), 5% ; i Leptura (cerambycid), 5'" ; remains 

 of a small fish 50%. Total amount, 100% animal matter. 



