LIFE-HISTORY OF THE HERRING-GULL. 429 



up food which the first took, some of it from its mate's mouth 

 "before it reached the ground. Usually both sexes utter the 

 subdued note, one replying to the other, but occasionally the 

 solicited one does not reply, as in this instance. One of these 

 Gulls was observed to pick up a piece of nesting-material and 

 commence the jerking and calling ceremony with it in its beak. 

 Both birds of a pair were also seen carrying nesting-material, 

 though the actual nest-making was not witnessed ; no doubt 

 both sexes take their part in this work. 



The last date on which I watched the Herring-Gulls was 

 June 17th. Young had been out for some little time. The 

 clucking note was still to be heard and also the subdued note. 

 The latter call consists either of a single squeak or is double- 

 noted, and may perhaps be written as " oo-ee," the second note 

 being higher pitched than the first ; occasionally a third note is 

 uttered. This call is not unlike the squeak of the young when 

 calling for food or shelter, and is probably derived from it, for 

 iihe female uses this call and accompanying jerking ceremony 

 when desiring food from the male. We may compare the 

 behaviour of the Gull to that of the female European Rook, for 

 on the arrival at the nest of the male with food she utters a call 

 resembling that of the young, and flaps her wings in a manner 

 similar to that of the fledgling Eooks when being fed. The 

 reversion to the manners of youth is not an unusual phenomenon 

 during the breeding-season of animals. Young Gulls which 

 disperse on the approach of humans return to the nest as soon 

 .as quiet is restored, and so are easily found by their parents. 



With regard to the feeding of its mate by regurgitation in 

 the case of the Herring-Gull, it may be noted that this is not 

 the only Gull I have seen to act thus ; the Ring-billed Gull 

 iLarus delawarensis) was also noted feeding its mate in this 

 manner after the eggs had been laid. It may be noted that I 

 have watched the Common Tern fishing assiduously for his mate 

 before egg-laying had commenced, the female sitting for hours 

 on a stone in the water, whilst the male Hew up and down seeking 

 io secure a meal for his lady-love ; whenever a catch was made 

 he at once flew straight to his mate and delivered the fish into 

 iaer beak. This I have observed on various occasions. 



The records of Gulls immediately covering their eggs and 



