592 HERRING GULL. 



them the semblance of a ball of moss. At low water the Herring Gulls 

 frequently devour these animals, thrusting their bill through the shell, 

 and sucking its contents. They also take up shells in the air, and 

 drop them on the rocks to break them. We saw one that had met with 

 a very hard mussel, take it up and drop it three times in succession, be- 

 fore it succeeded in breaking it, and I was much pleased to see the bird 

 let it fall each succeeding time from a greater height than before. They 

 seem to go out to sea in search of food at particular periods, setting out 

 at the first ebb and returning to the shore as the tide rises. 



The young are at first fed chiefly with shrimps and other small Crus- 

 tacea, which are picked up from the mud-bars or along the shores. They 

 are then of a deep rusty colour all over, and when fully feathered they 

 retain a good deal of that hue, but the feathers are edged with light grey 

 or brown ; the feet and legs are of a greenish-blue colour, inclining to 

 purple ; the bill dusky or nearly black. In spring ihey acquire their full 

 size, but still retain the grey and rusty plumage. The next year they 

 shew much light ash-grey and white about the head, neck, and lower 

 parts, the orange spot appears on the bill, the feet and legs are flesh- 

 coloured, the tail still partially banded towards the extremity. At this 

 age, however, I beheve they breed, as I observed some coloured in the 

 manner described, mated with older birds. The third spring they acquire 

 the colouring represented in the plate. 



I found no other species breeding on the same islands. Old and young 

 associate together all the year round, excepting during the breeding sea- 

 son, when the latter separate and pursue their avocations together. The 

 cry or cackling of this species, which is heard at a considerable dis- 

 tance, may be imitated by pronouncing the syllables hac, hoc, hac, cah, 

 call, cah. 



The Herring Gull has a greater range of migration along our coast 

 and in the interior than any other American species. I have found it on 

 our great lakes, and on the Ohio, Missouri and Mississippi, down to the 

 Gulf of Mexico, during the autumnal months, and in winter along the 

 shores of the latter, and all our eastern coasts. It may be said to be resident 

 in the United States, as it breeds from off" Boston to Eastport in Maine ; 

 but the greater number go farther north. We found the nests of some 

 on the bare rocks of the Seal Islands off" Labrador, but not on the coast 

 itself. They were composed of dry plants and moss brought from the 

 mainland. The birds kept by themselves, and appeared to be completely 



