1890
Oct.24
Lake Umbagog, Maine.
to the ground and alighted for a moment in
a birch by the shore. At noon, also, a young
Herring Gull alighted on the water just off our
landing and spent nearly half-an-hour trying
to swallow a dead pickerel which was too large
for him. He tore it to pieces about the head when
it would begin to sink the moment he let it 
go. Each time he would recover it by plunging 
his head and neck under water. At length he
missed his aim and the fish doubtless sank
beyond his reach for he rose one wing at once to
a height of ten or twelve feet, closed his wings
and plunged down head first going quite out 
of sight excepting the tip of his tail but he
came up without his fish. He took his
disappointment very coolly and floated on the
waves for several minutes plunging his head
under them and scattering the water over his
back at the same time thrashing the surface
with his wings. He was so tame that one of
my men rowed past him within ten yards
last evening and I sailed my canoe within 
30 yards of him before he flew.
[margin]Herring
Gull 
tries in
vain to
swallow
a large
pickerel[/margin]