The Audubon Societies 



J 95 



FROM ADULT OBSERVERS 



Long-wings 



Last October, the eleventh, was a misty 

 day, and at nightfall some people heard 

 a slight sound outside. Opening the door 

 and turning on the light, as they said, in 

 flew a Herring or Harbor Gull. He was 

 captured and put into a box with a wire 

 screen in front. At first he would not eat, 

 as he feared the people, and still more the 

 cats and dogs, as they appeared and re- 

 appeared, and he shrank back in his little 

 box. After a day or two, he decided to 

 make the best of an unpleasant situation, 

 and he would even eat from the hand a 

 little bread and a few kernels of corn. 



To keep a protected bird in confinement 

 requires a permit, in our state, and so, by 

 gifts of bird pictures and other valuable 

 considerations, the people were induced 

 to permit us to get the permit, which was 

 secured from Dr. Field, chairman of the 

 Fish and Game Commission. Long-wings 

 bit sharply at the gloved hands that 

 removed him from the box where he had 

 spent five days, but, when released into a 

 house sixty feet long where he was to 

 enjoy the company of seven fowls and 

 many visitors, he showed pleasure by 

 rising again and again about three feet 

 into the air and waving his wings. This 

 graceful movement was his favorite exer- 

 cise, being deprived of swimming facilities. 



His first bath in a dish-pan was satis- 

 factory, and, when a larger bath was 

 secured for him after several days, he 

 would not try that, but waited all day for 

 the dish-pan to be restored. Both wings 

 were found to be wounded, and at times 

 the feathers of the breast would be much 

 stained with blood; at other times there 

 would be only a slight pink stain, which 

 shows still after nearly four months. 

 When the wounds seemed to be at their 

 worst, he would carefully soak them and 

 arrange the feathers about them in his 

 daily bath. When all was finished with 

 great care, his whole bath and feather 

 arrangement taking sometimes two hours, 

 his appearance was perfectly neat. 



When first seen, Long-wings was en- 

 tirely white on head and neck, but. on the 

 morning of October 17, some minute 

 specks of silver were seen on head and 

 neck, and in a few days he was in full 

 winter plumage, as described in Reed's 

 Bird Guide. We named him Longipennes, 

 or Long-wings for the Order to which he 

 belongs, as that name best described a 

 bird which surprised people here especi- 

 ally when he stretched out his wings, 

 for, living a hundred miles from the 

 ocean, few had seen any of this order 

 of birds. The game warden calling to 

 inquire for his health, said: "How is 

 Larus?" The family name Laridae and 

 the generic name Larus refer to "fat," 

 and the specific name Argentatus seems 

 to describe not only the' silver mantle 

 covering the back, but a certain silvery 

 whiteness which is most clearly seen 

 when the bird is flying. 



In two days' time, Long-wings would 

 fly toward anyone and eat cautiously 

 from the hands. The fowls were consider- 

 ably surprised and fearful at his flying, 

 but, when he was standing, they would 

 approach and desire to eat with him. His 

 conduct toward these low-caste birds was 

 exemplary. He never interfered with 

 them, only as they tried to appropriate 

 his food-supply, then, with dignity, he 

 would very quietly remove a feather from 

 the intruder's tail. However much food 

 he had, he would not permit any famili- 

 arity. But Chanticleer, gaining courage, 

 would try to find him in some disadvan- 

 tageous position, as when he had just 

 alighted upon the floor and was getting 

 his balance. Long-wings would stretch 

 out his bill and open it, and this was 

 at first sufficient. When this was not 

 enough, a slight, sudden, threatening 

 movement of the wings would scare the 

 beautiful cock and send him to his harem 

 to explain. One day, the aid of the six- 

 females was secured, all falling on Long- 

 wings as he alighted on the ground, and 



