Vol. XX 

 1903 



1 DuTCHER AND Baily, Habits of the Hern'}!"- Gull. 42 7 



sary to cover the camera in the most skillful manner or else wait 

 for hours before the gull would return to the nest. On sunny 

 days during the hours of greatest heat, say from 12 to 3 p. m., 

 the nesting gulls were not so anxious to remain on the eggs, nor 

 did the eggs cool enough to do them harm. 



Mr. Baily, in 1902, built a blind of sticks, old ship trash, etc., 

 about ten feet from a nest containing three eggs. While inside he 

 seemed to be entirely forgotten by the birds, for in less than five 

 minutes a bird alighted on top of the blind, which must have been 

 placed near its favorite perch. In about ten minutes the owner 

 of the nest was noted standing about thirty feet away, suspiciously 

 eyeing the hut, but before long she cautiously but proudly marched 

 to the nest. In her bill was a bunch of dry grass which she 

 deposited on the side of the nest, which was placed in the green 

 grass and clover against a small log. For several hours the nest 

 was watched and on two occasions of the seven when the bird 

 returned to the nest she turned the eggs slightly. They had pre- 

 viously all been marked with an arrow pointing in one direction, 

 and it was found she had only turned one of the pipped eggs. 

 She did not seem at any time to make any examination of the 

 eggs, but turned them with her bill after she had nestled down 

 into position. She always alighted some little distance from the 

 nest, and after looking about to see if the coast was clear, walked 

 rather deliberately to the nest, and carefully, tenderly sank into it, 

 moving her body from side to side about six times, as if to work 

 the feathers between the eggs ; she then sat with her head erect, 

 turning it to the right or left every second or two, watching all 

 that was going on about her. Her mate was continually on guard 

 about fifteen feet away, sitting on a fallen log. 



A high temperature seemed to have a marked effect on the 

 gulls, for it was noticed that they kept their mandibles open 

 and the tongue raised as if in distress for air. This was 

 observed both with the setting gulls and those that were perched 

 about on the trees and rocks. The calls and cries of the adult 

 were very varied and seemed to fit each occasion. On our enter- 

 ing one of the colonies, all the nearby birds would rise into the 

 air, each one screaming Kakkak-kak at the top of its voice. As 

 the intruder advanced further into the colonv the number of 



