LIFE HISTORIES OF NORTH AMERICAN GULLS AND TERNS. 59 



I often noticed that the Sabine's and short-billed gulls, Pacific kittiwakes and 

 jaegers kept at a respectful distance and never attempted to pick up food 

 from the water if these gulls were near but left it for them. When no food 

 was in sight all the above species rested on the water together in one flock. 

 When food was thrown out the glaucous gull was slower in taking wing than 

 the others and often lost his share on this account. 



The glaucous gull is decidedly predatory in its habits. Nuttall 

 (1834) says: 



They wrest prey from weaker birds, and are often seen hovering in the air 

 or seated on some lofty pinnacle of ice, whence, having fixed their eye upon 

 some favorite morsel, they dart down on the possessor, which, whether fulmar, 

 guillemot, or kittiwake, must instantly resign the prize.. The auk, as well as 

 the young penguin, they not only rob but often wholly devour. 



Kumlien (1879) gives the following account pf how it robs the 

 eiders: 



, June 4, I saw a few L. glaucus among a large flock of Som. mollissima that 

 were diving for food outside, the. harbor in a small lead in the ice. As soon 

 as the duck came to the surface the gull attacked it till, it disgorged some- 

 thing, which was immediately gobbled up by the gull. The gull picked several 

 times at what was disgorged, which leads me to the belief that the food was 

 small crustaceans. This piratical mode of living is very characteristic of 

 Larus glaucus. 



A similar performance has been noted by Hagerup (1891) in 

 Greenland. 



The Eskimos find the breasts of this and other gulls desirable as 

 food, the young birds being considered a delicacy, and the eggs are 

 very good to eat when fresh. Many an Arctic explorer also has 

 found these birds a welcome addition to the food supply. Kumlien 

 (1879) thus describes the primitive methods of the Eskimos in cap- 

 turing these birds : 



One, of the most popular is to build; a small snow hut on the ice in a locality 

 frequented by the gulls. Some blubber or scraps of meat are exposed to view 

 on the top and seldom fails to induce the bird to alight on the roof of the 

 structure. This is so thin that the Eskimo on the inside can readily see the 

 bird through the snow and, with a quick grab, will break through the snow 

 and catch the bird by the legs. Some use a spear, thrusting it violently through 

 the roof of the hut. Many are killed by exposing pieces of blubber among the 

 hummocky ice and lying concealed within proper distance for bow and arrow 

 practice. 



• Murdock (1885) tells us of another method practiced at Point 



Barrow : 



They are a favorite bird with the natives, and many are shot in the autumn 

 as they fly up and down the shore. They are also occasionally caught with ,a 

 baited line in the autumn when there is , a light snow on the beach. A little 

 stick of hardwood, about 4 inches long and sharpened at both ends, has attached 

 to its middle a strong line of deer sinew." The stick is carefully wrapped in 



