356 Bird -Lore 



have extended their breeding-range on our coast nearly 60 miles to the west- 

 ward, with many large colonies. The great increase and expansion of a powerful 

 pugnacious species, probably of all of our large birds with the possible exception 

 of the Common Crow best adapted to respond and exist under human invasion 

 of the land, has had a marked effect on other species. It is believed that it has 

 given confidence and encouragement to the Eider Duck to linger at long- 

 abandoned places formerly occupied by these two species, and it is hoped and 

 to be expected that the Eider may slowly return to some of its old haunts. 



On the other hand. Terns have suffered extensively by the change, and the 

 welfare of the only colony of Laughing Gulls is threatened. Metinic Green 

 Island, once the home of one of the largest colonies of Terns in Maine, is now 

 occupied by an even larger colony of these Gulls, and the Terns, except about 

 a dozen persistent birds, have been forced to find other quarters. But since 

 other breeding-places of the species have been taken by the Gulls, the Terns 

 have been forced to occupy many small inlets and ledges, often very near the 

 mainland where they are liable to the depredations of brown rats and mink, 

 and much more exposed to the vandalism of the sagacious Crows which have 

 always found these rocks excellent feeding-grounds. By a conservative 

 estimate, it seems probable that upwards of 60,000 pairs of Gulls bred this year 

 on the coast of Maine. With the normal increase of these large numbers of 

 Gulls during the next few years under the absolute protection which they enjoy, 

 we shall probably see a much greater invasion of the territory once available 

 to the weaker birds. Economically the Gulls are a much greater factor, both 

 for good and for ill, than the Terns and Laughing Gulls. 



The Laughing Gull gives but scant attention to garbage, resorting to the 

 estuaries and long creeks where vast areas of flats are exposed, feeding on the 

 marine forms, worms, many of which are carnivorous, and the lesser crusta- 

 ceans, and probably small fishes. Though the Terns are to a considerable 

 extent insectivorous, their part as scavengers is very small, their food con- 

 sisting largely of sand eels and shrimp, with small squid and small fishes of 

 various kinds, which, with the exception of the carnivorous squid, are chiefly 

 important as food for larger fishes. The Herring Gull is omnivorous, acting a 

 most important part as a scavenger, and preying on a long list of carnivorous 

 marine animals; they also eat many insects. Their destruction of food fishes 

 is no doubt far outweighed by their destruction of carnivorous worms, echino- 

 derms, and moUusks which form, with garbage, the constant and staple part of 

 their diet throughout the year. 



Against their good services, where fish or other garbage is used to dress 

 land, they flock there and undo the work of the farmer who neglects to plow 

 under the animal dressing used. It is claimed, no doubt with truth, that they 

 devour the eggs and young of smaller birds which would breed in their vicinity. 

 The claim that in certain sections they are destructive to crops of berries is 

 probably true. The situation with the Herring Gull has reached that stage 



