Bulletin of the Michigan Ornithological Club. 



33 



The American Herring Gull. 



THIS bird is found in great numbers 

 in our locality the greater part of 

 the year, some of the hardier ones 

 remaining with us all winter. 



In the very severe weather they drift 

 out over the lake, but soon came back to 

 hang around the fisherman's shanties to 

 pick up the fish heads and trimmings 

 thrown out upon the ice. 



In April they return by thousands, and 

 their discordant cries' as they fight over 

 the remains of some fish thrown out upon 

 the ice, fill the air with anything but 

 music. 



After the ice goes out, about the first of 

 May, they begin to gather around three 

 rather isolated islands, which are situated 

 in the passage from Green Bay to Lake 

 Michigan. There thev have bred from as 

 far back as the whites have record. From 

 the nesting of the gulls, these islands have 

 derived their names, viz., Gravel, Middle, 

 and South Gull Islands. 



The eggs are gathered by fishermen and 

 Indians, who use them for food, or sell 

 them in Escanaba markets, receiving 

 twenty to twenty -five cents per dozen for 

 them. 



The Indians have up till late years had 

 their annual egg feast, going to the Islands 

 in a body in their Mackinaw^s (boats) and 

 remaining until gull eggs had no further 

 charm. Their camping place was on 

 Middle Gull Island where plenty of wood 

 is to be found, and where on the northeast 

 point is a natural dancing-ground — a hard, 

 level piece of ground as smooth as a floor; 

 and around this rude fire-places still re- 

 main. One much larger than the rest, 

 some eight feet high, stands like a monu- 

 ment of olden times. 



It is amusing, if one goes there when 

 the young are a few days old, to see them 

 scramble for the water — little spotted fel- 

 lows very much resembling the eggs 

 themselves ; and I have actually stooped 

 to pick up a supposed egg among the 

 drift-wood only to find it a young gull's 

 head, which soon gave proof to its liveli- 

 ness by scurrying away to a better place 

 of shelter. I have seen hundreds — yes I 

 can almost say a thousand — of these little 

 fellows, when being frightened by a shot, 

 all run for the water. Still, they differ 



from ducks and only swim out a short 

 distance, quickly returning to seek the 

 shelter of the rocks. 



On Gravel Gull Island a colony of 

 Caspian Terns breed in company with the 

 Gulls, not intermingling however in the 

 least, and each showing a respect for the 

 other's rights. 



The eggs are quite variable in color- 

 ation, size and markings. While a set 

 resemble each other in size and shape, the 

 color very often differs widely, and one is 

 led to believe that more than one bird laid 

 in the nest. This they doubtless do oc- 

 casionally. 



They begin to nest in May and if dis- 

 turbed or robbed keep on until the latter 

 part of June, when many abandon the 

 islands and leave. 



The shell is very fragile w T hen fresh 

 and when incubation is advanced it 

 breaks at the slightest touch. 



On Gravel Gull Island, which is com- 

 posed of ridges of gravel thrown up by 

 the waves, the nests put on quite a military 

 look, occurring as they do quite regularly 

 on each ridge, making rows two rods apart 

 and in tiers, one slightly above the other. 

 They look like an army — especially when 

 approaching the island — with the birds 

 standing guard, dressed in white with 

 pearl mantle and erect as penguins. 

 When you approach to within a short dis- 

 tance of them they take fright and 

 rise in swarms, making a great animated 

 snow-storm, filling the air with so much 

 noise that it is necessary to shout to one 

 quite close in order to be understood. 



One passing through the passage on a 

 boat would hardly think that those little 

 islands off to the south-west were tenanted 

 with so many birds. 



E. Van Winkle. 

 Van's Harbor, 



Delta County, Mich. 



L J. Cole has returned to the Agricultural 

 College to complete his work there. 



Mr. Wm, A. Hayden of Jackson, has entered as a 

 student at the Michigan Agricultural College. 



Mr. Dewey A. Seeley of the Agricultural College, 

 recently went to Grand Eapids, where he spent two 

 days taking the Civil Service examination. 



Mr. W. E. Mulliken of Grand Rapids, recently 

 made a few days visit with T. L. Hankinson and 

 L. J. Cole, at the Agricultural College. 



