BLACK-HEADED, OR LAUGHING GULL. 123 
to reproduce out of season, as it were. On some such occasions, when 
I was at St Augustine, in the month of December, I have observed 
four or five males of the present species paying their addresses to one 
female, who received their courtesies with evident welcome. Yet the 
females in that country did not deposit eggs until the 20th day of April. 
The most surprising fact of all was, that, although these birds were 
paired, and copulated regularly, by the Ist of February, not one had 
acquired the spring or summer plumage, or the dark coloured hood, or 
the rosy tint of the breast, nor lost the white spots on the tips of their 
primary quills. This change, however, was apparent by the 5th of 
March, became daily stronger, and was perfected by the 15th of that 
month. A few exceptions occurred among the numbers procured at 
these periods, but the generality of the birds were as above described. 
Whilst at Great Egg Harbour, in May 1829, shortly after my re- 
turn from England, I found this species breeding in great numbers on 
the margins of a vast salt marsh, bordering the sea-shore, though sepa- 
rated from the Atlantic by a long and narrow island. About sunrise 
every morning, an immense number of these birds would rise in the 
air, as if by common consent, and wing their way across the land, pro- 
bably intent on reaching the lower shores of the Delaware River, or 
indeed farther towards the head waters of Chesapeake Bay. They 
formed themselves into long straggling lines, following each other sing- 
ly, at the distance of a few yards. About an hour before sunset, the 
same birds were seen returning in an extended front, now all silent, al- 
though in the morning their cries were incessant, and lasted until they 
were out of sight. On arriving at the breeding ground, they imme- 
diately settled upon their nests. Ona few occasions, when it rained 
and blew hard, the numbers that left the nests were comparatively . 
few, and those, as I thought, mostly males. Instead of travelling high, 
as they were wont to do in fair and calm weather, they skimmed closely 
over the land, contending with the wind with surprising pertinacity, 
and successfully too. At such times they were also quite silent. I 
now and then observed some of them whilst on wing, and at a consi- 
derable height, suddenly check their course, as if to examine some ob- 
ject below; but on none of these occasions did I see one attempt to 
alight, for it soon resumed its wonted course, and rejoined its com- 
panions. 
Now, Reader, though I am growing old, I yet feel desirous of ac- 
