^°i'o^^1 DuTCHER AND Baily, Habt fs of the Herring GuU . 425 



a bird that was found dead. It was examined veiy carefully for 

 wounds or any evidence of a violent death but none was found, 

 and the conclusion must obtain that it died from some natural 

 cause. The downy plumage of the bird was in such excellent 

 condition that it was preserved, and it was found while skinning 

 it that the body was very much emaciated, which would indicate 

 death by starvation, although a small amount of food still remained 

 in the stomach. 



On Duck Island the remains of one young gull was found that 

 had met a violent death ; a small portion of the back, one foot, the 

 tarsus and tibia, the stomach and a little of the viscera remained, 

 the rest having been eaten. From the appearance of the 

 remaining portions it was judged that the bird had been killed by 

 a hawk, as it had been pulled apart ; it showed no marks whatever 

 of being chewed by a mammal. No hawks were seen on the 

 island, although Capt. Stantley states that members of the hawk 

 family often visit the island, especially during the migratory 

 season. 



The Captain also stated that the crows on the island destroyed 

 some eggs, but he had never seen any evidence that they ever ate 

 young gulls. He also stated that he was sure there were no four- 

 footed enemies of the gulls, as he had made diligent search on the 

 island for mammals and could never find the slightest trace of 

 any. He had carefully looked for tracks in the snow many times 

 but always without success. The Captain also says that the old 

 birds sometimes kill the young. The adult seems then to exhibit 

 great anger and strikes the victim with its bill until it is dead. In 

 all probability the one killed is not its own offspring, for it seems 

 impossible that any bird that exhibits the solicitude for its eggs 

 and young that the Herring Gull does could become an infanticide. 

 In 1902 Mr. Baily saw an old bird actually striking the head of a 

 young bird about ten days old, while the helpless little fellow, 

 with quivering wings, implored the old one to stop. But with only 

 occasional pauses he continued the torture, just as a cat does 

 before eating a mouse. Then he would strike his victim in the 

 back pulling out its half-grown feathers. The blows came harder 

 and harder, and when the poor thing collapsed, the old bird 

 walked away a few feet and uttered the worst noise he was 



