﻿BIRDS 
  OF 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  129 
  

  

  Migration. 
  The 
  Herring 
  gulls 
  which 
  remain 
  all 
  winter 
  on 
  the 
  lakes 
  

   and 
  open 
  rivers 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  are 
  joined 
  in 
  March 
  or 
  early 
  April, 
  when 
  the 
  

   ice 
  goes 
  out, 
  b}" 
  large 
  numbers 
  which 
  have 
  spent 
  the 
  winter 
  farther 
  south. 
  

   Thev 
  continue 
  common 
  on 
  the 
  lakes 
  till 
  late 
  in 
  May. 
  During 
  June 
  and 
  

   Jul}' 
  few, 
  if 
  any, 
  are 
  seen 
  in 
  the 
  interior 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  except 
  a 
  small 
  number 
  

   which 
  are 
  summer 
  residents 
  of 
  the 
  Adirondacks. 
  In 
  early 
  i\ugust 
  this 
  gull 
  

   begins 
  to 
  appear 
  again 
  on 
  our 
  inland 
  waters 
  and 
  continues 
  to 
  increase 
  in 
  

   ninnbers 
  until 
  the 
  first 
  of 
  November 
  when 
  the 
  majority 
  gradually 
  depart 
  

   for 
  the 
  south. 
  On 
  the 
  lower 
  Hudson, 
  Dr 
  Fisher 
  gives 
  its 
  average 
  time 
  of 
  

   arrival 
  as 
  September 
  21st, 
  and 
  its 
  departure 
  for 
  the 
  north, 
  May 
  9th. 
  On 
  

   Long 
  Island, 
  it 
  comes 
  from 
  the 
  north 
  in 
  September 
  and 
  departs 
  in 
  May. 
  

  

  Haunts 
  and 
  habits. 
  The 
  Herring, 
  or 
  Winter 
  gull, 
  is 
  the 
  species 
  usually 
  

   seen 
  coursing 
  along 
  the 
  shore, 
  or 
  lying 
  in 
  long 
  "beds" 
  on 
  the 
  sand 
  bars 
  or 
  on 
  

   the 
  water 
  some 
  distance 
  offshore, 
  both 
  on 
  the 
  inland 
  lakes 
  and 
  the 
  seacoast. 
  

   They 
  are 
  continually 
  circling 
  about 
  the 
  harbors 
  or 
  following 
  garbage 
  scows 
  

   in 
  flocks 
  of 
  thousands. 
  They 
  also 
  follow 
  coastwise 
  vessels 
  to 
  feed 
  on 
  refuse 
  

   cast 
  overboard 
  by 
  the 
  cooks, 
  and 
  when 
  the 
  coveted 
  morsels 
  are 
  thrown 
  in 
  

   the 
  sea, 
  the 
  few 
  birds 
  which 
  are 
  near 
  the 
  ship 
  are 
  joined 
  in 
  an 
  incredibly 
  

   short 
  time 
  by 
  dozens 
  and 
  sometimes 
  hundreds 
  of 
  birds, 
  when 
  the 
  air 
  above 
  

   the 
  floating 
  crackers 
  and 
  bacon 
  scraps 
  becomes 
  a 
  confused 
  tangle 
  of 
  scream- 
  

   ing 
  gulls, 
  until 
  the 
  last 
  vestige 
  is 
  devoured. 
  It 
  is 
  quite 
  impossible 
  to 
  deceive 
  

   these 
  birds 
  by 
  throwing 
  bits 
  of 
  wood 
  or 
  cigar 
  stubs 
  from 
  the 
  boat 
  ; 
  although 
  

   I 
  have 
  seen 
  it 
  tried 
  many 
  times, 
  no 
  birds 
  appeared 
  to 
  take 
  the 
  slightest 
  

   notice, 
  but 
  as 
  soon 
  as 
  a 
  piece 
  of 
  cracker 
  was 
  thrown, 
  there 
  was 
  immediately 
  

   an 
  eager 
  scrimmage. 
  I 
  have 
  often 
  sat 
  on 
  deck 
  and 
  watched 
  the 
  soaring 
  

   gvUls 
  above 
  the 
  masthead 
  with 
  scarcely 
  any 
  motion 
  of 
  their 
  wings, 
  moving 
  

   against 
  a 
  10 
  mile 
  breeze 
  and 
  maintaining 
  the 
  same 
  position 
  with 
  reference 
  

   to 
  the 
  ship 
  as 
  she 
  plowed 
  along 
  at 
  the 
  rate 
  of 
  1 
  2 
  miles 
  an 
  hour. 
  The 
  Herring 
  

   gull 
  becomes 
  quite 
  tamxC 
  and 
  friendly 
  in 
  cities 
  and 
  parks 
  where 
  it 
  is 
  pro- 
  

   tected, 
  but 
  on 
  the 
  lake 
  shore 
  and 
  sound 
  where 
  gunners 
  often 
  molest 
  it, 
  

   it 
  becomes 
  ver)^ 
  wary, 
  and 
  I 
  have 
  had 
  great 
  difficult}" 
  in 
  securing 
  specimens 
  

   in 
  different 
  plumages. 
  On 
  its 
  breeding 
  groimds, 
  the 
  scream 
  of 
  this 
  bird. 
  

  

  