DELAWARE VALLEY ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB. 13 



be interrupted by periods of sailing or by graceful circling. 

 Sometimes, and more frequently as spring approaches, they soar 

 in beautiful circles to great heights. At such times they may 

 be mistaken easily for hawks. On a few occasions I have seen 

 great numbers of them engaged in this sport, — the whole wheel- 

 ing concourse drifting slowly before the wind. 



As a rule the Herring Gull in winter on the river is a rather 

 silent bird. One may sometimes fly about uttering a plaintive 

 squeal. A less common sound is a low chuckle, not audible 

 for more than a few yards. But when a bunch of them get to- 

 gether, especially in disagreement over an insufficient supply 

 of food, they sometimes show that they have real voices. There 

 may be only one or two notes ; or these may be continued into 

 a long cackle, not musical to be sure, but with a delicious flavor 

 of wildness. It is a rather curious fact that during most of 

 the winter, at the noon hour many more gulls pass up the river 

 than move down. Sometimes the count reads about " 30 up " to 

 " 2 down." Or it may reach the unusual total of nearly one 

 hundred, divided in about the same ratio. No doubt they come 

 back again sometime. On other days, as though by common 

 consent, they all go foraging promiscuously, without any de- 

 finite lines of flight. I have not been able to detect any rela- 

 tion between these movements and either tide or weather con- 

 ditions. 



Associated more or less with the gulls is the everyday Crow. 

 Sometimes great flocks assemble on Chester Island or the Jersey 

 shore. When ice is plentiful in the river they ride about on it 

 and fly from place to place seeking food. When the surface of 

 the water is free from ice and not too rough, they go about as the 

 gulls do, descending and picking things from the surface. They 

 look as though they were in danger of falling in and drowning, 

 but I have never seen any such accidents. It should be men- 

 tioned that, a few times, I have noted Purple Grackles acting 

 in the same way. On two occasions, when the sounds of civil- 

 ization were hushed, when there was no slapping of waves nor 

 grinding of ice, I have heard the faint voices of Crows and on 

 looking through field-glasses have found them on the shore or 

 treetops on the other side of the river. There were none any- 



