BONAPARTE^S GULL, 



{Lams Philadelphia.) 



LYNDS JONES. 



THE whole of North America is 

 the home of this pretty little 

 gull — from the Bermudas to 

 Labrador on the east, California 

 to the Yukon on the west, and from 

 the Gulf of Mexico at least to the Arc- 

 tic circle. This species is often com- 

 mon near streams and other bodies of 

 water large enough to furnish their 

 food of fish. I have often seen flocks 

 of twenty or more birds passing over 

 central Iowa during the vernal migra- 

 tions, sometimes even stooping to 

 snatch some toothsome grub from the 

 freshly turned furrow, but oftener 

 sweeping past within easy range in 

 that lithe, graceful flight so character- 

 istic of this small gull. To the farm 

 boy, shut in away from any body of 

 water larger than an ice pond, where 

 no ocean birds could ever be expected 

 to wander, the appearance of this bird, 

 bearing the wild freedom of the ocean 

 in his every movement, is truly a 

 revelation. It sends the blood cours- 

 ing hotly through his veins until the 

 impulse to get away into the broader 

 activities of life cannot be put down. 

 I know not why it is, but some birds, 

 seen for the first time, seem to waft 

 the perfume of an unknown country to 

 us, well-nigh irresistibly calling us 

 away upon a new field of exploration 

 or endeavor. 



The flight of Bonaparte's gull is 

 worthy of careful study. In common 

 with the other members of the group 

 of gulls, he progresses easily by con- 

 tinuous leisurely wing beats, each 

 stroke of the wings seeming to throw 

 the light body slightly upward as 

 though it were not more than a feath- 

 er's weight. In the leisurely flight the 

 watchful eye is turned hither and 

 thither in quest of some food morsel, 

 which may be some luckless fish ven- 

 turing too near the surface of the 

 water, or possibly floating refuse. The 

 flight is sometimes so suddenly ar- 

 rested that the body of the bird seems 

 to be thrown backward before the 



plunge is made, thus giving the im- 

 pression of a graceful litheness which 

 is not seen in the larger birds of this 

 group. 



It is only in the breeding-plumage 

 that this species wears the slaty 

 plumbeous hood. In the winter the 

 hood is wanting, though it may be sug- 

 gested by a few dark spots, but there 

 is a dusky spot over the ears always. 

 It seems doubtful if the birds attain 

 the dark hood until the second or 

 third year, at which time they may be 

 said to be fully adult. 



It was formerly supposed that this 

 gull nested entirely north of the United 

 States, but later investigations have 

 shown that it nests regularly in north- 

 ern Minnesota and even as far south 

 as the Saint Clair Flats near Detroit, 

 Mich. It may then be said to nest 

 from the northern United States north- 

 ward to the limit of its range. It is 

 rare along the Alaskan coast of Bering 

 sea, and there seems to be no record 

 of it alongthe coast of the Arctic ocean. 



The nest is always placed in elevated 

 situations, in bushes, trees, or on high 

 stumps, and is composed of sticks, 

 grasses, and lined with softer vege- 

 table material. The eggs are three or 

 four in number and have the grayish- 

 brown to greenish-brown color, spotted 

 and blotched with browns, which is 

 characteristic of the gulls as a group. 



While the gulls are fish-eaters and 

 almost constantly hover above the 

 fishers' nets, often catching over again 

 the fish which the nets have trapped, 

 we never hear of an)^ warfare waged 

 against them by the fishermen. On 

 the contrary, the gulls are always on 

 the most friendly terms with them, 

 gladly accepting the fish found un- 

 worthy of the market. But let a bird 

 of whatever kind visit the orchard or 

 chicken-yard, for whatever purpose, 

 and his life is not worth a moment's 

 consideration. We need again to sit 

 at the feet of fishermen as earnest in- 

 quirers. 



215 



