163 



THE HERRING OR SILVERY GULL. 



-/-Larus argentatus, Brunn. 

 PLATE CCCCXL VIII.— Male. 



On the 22nd of May, 1833, I was kindly received with my party on board 

 the United States revenue cutter Svviftsure, commanded by Captain Cool- 

 edge, and on the morning of the next day was landed on White Head 

 Island, at the entrance of the Bay of Fundy. This island is the property of 

 a worthy Englishman of the name of Frankland, who received us with 

 great hospitality, gave us leave to ransack his domains, and invited us to 

 remain as long as we pleased. The Herring Gulls, he said, were breeding in 

 great numbers, and we might expect good sport. We immediately set out 

 in search of them, directing our course toward the pine woods, in which we 

 were informed we should find them, and in approaching which we passed 

 over an elevated marsh of great extent. As we came up to the place I 

 observed that many of the Gulls had alighted on the fir-trees, while a vast 

 number were sailing around, and when we advanced nearer, the former took 

 to wing, abandoning their nests, and all flew about uttering incessant cries. 



I was greatly surprised to see the nests placed on the branches, some near 

 the top, others about the middle or on the lower parts of the trees, while at 

 the same time there were many on the ground. It is true I had been in- 

 formed of this by our captain, but I had almost believed that, on arriving at 

 the spot, I should find the birds not to be Gulls. My doubts, however, were 

 now dispelled, and I was delighted to see how strangely Nature had pro- 

 vided them with the means of securing their eggs and young from their 

 arch-enemy man. My delight was greatly increased on being afterwards 

 informed by Mr. Frankland that the strange habit in question had been 

 acquired by these Gulls within his recollection, for, said he, "when I first 

 came here, many years ago, they all built their nests on the moss and in 

 open ground; but as my sons and the fishermen collected most of their eggs 

 for winter use, and sadly annoyed the poor things, the old ones graduall} r 

 began to put their nests on the trees in the thickest parts of the woods. 

 The youngest birds, however, still have some on the ground, and the whole 

 are becoming less wild since I have forbidden strangers to rob their nests; 

 for, gentlemen, you are the only persons out of my family that have fired a 



