Habits of Gulls and Shags — " Steamer-ducks" 61 



first to settle himself carefully as he alights on the water, and has 

 then to trust to the chance of some unsophisticated fish coming 

 within reach of his bill. It was impossible to avoid noticing the 

 mortified appearance of the poor gulls as they looked eagerly 

 about, but yet caught only an odd fish, whilst their comrades, the 

 shags, were enjoying abundant sport. 



It is odd that the silly gull manages at all to survive in the 

 struggle for existence. Here is another instance of his incapacity. 

 A piece of meat, weighing a few ounces, drifted astern of the 

 ship one day, and for its possession a struggle took place between 

 a dominican gull and a brown hawk. The gull had picked up 

 the meat, and was flying away with it in his bill, when he was 

 pursued by the hawk — a much smaller bird — who made him 

 drop it. Again the gull picked it up, and for a second time 

 was compelled by the hawk to relinquish it. The latter now 

 swooped down upon the tempting morsel, as it floated on the 

 water, and seizing it with his claws, flew off rapidly into an 

 adjoining thicket, to the edge of which he was followed by the 

 disappointed gull. 



Steamer- ducks {Tachyeres cinereus) are very abundant at Tom 

 Bay, as indeed they are throughout all the western channels. 

 Their English name, " steamer-duck," has reference to their habit 

 of moving rapidly along the surface of the water by means of a 

 paddling motion of the wings, and leaving a wake of foam which 

 resembles, on a small scale, that of a paddle-steamer. A great 

 deal has been written about these remarkable birds, and I shall 

 not therefore attempt any general description, which at the best 

 would only involve useless repetition. There are a few remarks 

 about them, however, which I should like to make. Although 

 aware of the careful investigations made by Dr. Cunningham in 

 1866-9, and his conclusion as to their being but one species, I 

 have yet some reason to believe that the fliers and the non- 

 flying birds which I have seen belong to two distinct species, 

 and my impression is — though I am by no means sure — that 



