GULLS— SNOW GOOSE. 



113 



PLATE LXXIV. 



Fork-tailed Gull. (Xema Sabinei.) 



Fig. i. 



Captain J. Sabine has the honor of introducing this interesting 

 species, in 1818. It was discovered at its breeding station on some 

 low rocky islands, lying off the west coast of Greenland, associ- 

 ated in considerable numbers with the Arctic Tern, the nests of 

 both birds being intermingled. Nuttall says : " It is analogous to 

 the Tern, not only in its forked tail, and in its choice of a breeding- 

 place, but also in the boldness which it displays in the protection 

 of its young. The parent-birds flew with impetuosity toward 

 those who approached their nests, and, when one was killed, its 

 mate, though frequently fired at, continued on the wing close to the 

 spot. They were observed to collect their food from the sea-beach, 

 standing near the edge of the water, and gleaning up the marine 

 insects which were cast on shore. A single individual was seen 

 in Prince Regent's Inlet, and many specimens were procured in 

 the course of the second voyage on Melville Peninsula. A pair 

 were also obtained at Spitzbergen, so that it is a pretty general sum- 

 mer resident on the shores of the Arctic Seas, and may thus be 

 enumerated amongst the European as well as the American birds. 

 It arrives in these remote boreal regions in June, and retires to the 

 southward in August. The eggs, two in number, are deposited on 

 the bare ground, and hatched in the last week of July. They are 

 of an olive color, with many brown blotches, and about an inch 

 and a half in length." 



Western Gull, Common Gull, Herring Gull.— {Larus argentatus, var. 

 occidentalism) 



Fig. 2. 



This bird is now considered a variety of the species known as 

 the Herring or Common Gull. (Plate LIV., fig. 2.) It can 

 readily be distinguished by the slaty bluish coloration of its man- 

 tle. The Western Gull is abundant on the Pacific coast. Brehm 

 says: "Gulls are to be met with in every quarter of the globe, 

 but are most abundant in northern regions. A few species wan- 

 der to a considerable distance from land, always, however, return- 

 ing to the vicinity of the shore. All may, therefore, properly be 

 called coast birds, and to the mariner they are always welcome 

 as sure harbingers of land. Their flights inland are even more 

 frequent than their excursions into the open sea, and many of them 

 may often be seen following the course of large rivers, or winging 

 their way from lake to lake, into the interior of the country. Some 

 species will frequently settle in the vicinity of inland lakes, and 

 most of them prefer a similar situation as their breeding-place. 

 All of them live more or less upon fishes, but some also greedily 

 devour insects, and then later migrate with the greatest regularity. 

 Besides the above articles of nourishment, Gulls eagerly pick up 

 whatever small animals or animal substances they may happen to 

 meet with. Carrion they devour as greedily as do the Vultures, 

 even if it be in a putrid condition. In short, they appear to share 

 the appetites of many other birds, and to be quite as omnivorous 

 as the Crows. All Sea Gulls walk well and quickly ; they swim 

 buoyantly, lying in the water like so many air-bubbles, and dive 

 with facility, but to no great depth, plunging probably for not more 

 than one or two feet below the surface. Their voice consists of a 

 harsh, disagreeable scream. As their breeding time approaches, 

 these birds begin to assemble in flocks, which are frequently 

 joined by other parties, until at last they form a numerous host. 

 The larger species crowd less closely together at these times than 

 the smaller ones, the latter often literally covering the rocks on 



which their nests are so closely placed, that the brooding parents 

 press upon each other. The structure of the nests varies in differ- 

 ent localities ; when grass and seaweeds are procurable they are 

 carefully heaped together, but when these fail the nests are of still 

 scantier proportions. The brood consists of from two to four com- 

 paratively large oval eggs, with strong, coarse, brownish green, or 

 greenish brown shells, spotted with gray and brown ; upon these 

 both male and female sit by turns for the period of three or four 

 weeks. The young are clothed in a thick covering of speckled 

 down, and shortly after emerging from the shell may be seen trot- 

 ting about upon the sand, hiding themselves if alarmed behind lit- 

 tle hillocks, or boldly plunging into the water. Such, however, 

 as are born upon the ledges of perpendicular rocks, must neces- 

 sarily remain there until their wings are strong enough to enable 

 them to come down from their lofty perch, for they appear not to 

 take the desperate leaps into the sea attempted by so many sea- 

 birds to their destruction. During the first few days the young are 

 fed with half-digested food from their parents' crop, and afterward 

 with freshly-caught fishes, or other small animals. For some little 

 time after they are able to fly they remain together, but soon quit 

 their birth-place, and spread themselves along the coast." 



Saddle-back, Great Black Backed Gull, or Cobb. {Larus marinus.) 



Fig- 3- 



This is one of the largest-sized species of Gulls that are met 

 with along the Atlantic coasts of America and Europe. At the 

 approach of winter it migrates toward the Southern States, but 

 rarely visits the interior or fresh waters. Nuttall says: "The 

 Black-backed Gull feeds ordinarily upon fish, both dead and living, 

 as well as on fry and carrion, sometimes also on shell-fish, and, 

 like most of the tribe of large Gulls, it is extremely ravenous and 

 indiscriminate in its appetites when pressed by hunger. It 

 watches the bait of the fisherman, and often robs the hook of its 

 gain. As Mr. Audubon justly and strong^ remarks, it is as 

 much the tyrant of the sea-fowl as the Eagle is of the land-birds. 

 It is always on the watch to gratify its insatiable appetite. Power- 

 fully muscular in body and wing, it commands without control 

 over the inhabitants of the ocean and its borders. Its flight is ma- 

 jestic, and, like the Raven, it soars in wide circles to a great ele- 

 vation ; at which times its loud and rancous cry or laughing bark 

 of ' cak, cak, cak,' is often heard. Like the keen-eyed Eagle, 

 it is extremely shy and wary, most difficult of access, rarely ob- 

 tained but by accident or stratagem. It is the particular enemy of 

 the graceful Eider, pouncing upon and devouring its young on 

 every occasion, and often killing considerably sized Ducks. In pur- 

 suit of crabs or lobsters it plunges beneath the water ; has the in- 

 genuity to pick up a shell-fish, and, carrying it high in the air, 

 drops it upon a rock to obtain its contents ; it catches moles, rats, 

 young hares, gives chase to the Willow Grouse, and sucks her 

 eggs, or devours her callow brood ; it is even so indiscriminate in 

 its ravenous and cannibal cravings as to devour the eggs of its 

 own species. In short, it has no mercy on any object that can con- 

 tribute in any way to allay the cravings of its insatiable hunger 

 and delight in carnage. Though cowardly toward man, before 

 whom it abandons its young, its sway among the feathered tribes is 

 so fierce that even the different species of Jaegers or Skua Gulls, 

 themselves daring pirates, give way at its approach. The length 

 of this species is thirty, and extent about sixty-five inches." 



Snow Goose, White Brandt. {Anser hyperboreus.) 



Fig. 4- 



This is one of our North American species, that is said to be 

 very abundgrnt in the West, much more so than in the East. Whe. 



