the same call as the one I cited earlier as "Alarm Call ?* , but Just 
a little different. Not as .buzzy. Sometimes one note, sometimes two, 
sometimes three. "Keh* or "Keh keh" or "Keh keh keh" . 
All sorts of Swoops. Interspecific, toward me. Intra-specific, 
during Pursuit Flights after other gulls. Much as described above. 
Shallower than those of the Black-headed Cull and (perhaps) those of 
Franklin’s Cull. Very rapid, with very rapidly beating wings. Definitely 
accompanied by one or two Charge Call Notes. These can be transcribed 
as * Keeeeeeeeeer* or " Kreeeeeeeeeee" , (not really 11 Kw arr" ) , but this 
gives a very poor impression of them. Buzzy, but definitely scream— like. 
These notes stop as soon as the bird starts to fly up. 
"Flying* Soar is the usual pattern after Swoops. Also relatively 
shallow* 
This Swoop-* Flying* Soar routine, incidentally, is not unlike 
the behavior of Common Terns in similar situations. But the Swoop- 
flying* Soar of the tern is much steeper and more vertical. 
. 
"Typical* Soars also occur. Still relatively rare and Inconspicuous. 
Occur after the most shallow Swoops. 
Have seen quite a number of mutual Swoop-* Flying*' Soar performances. 
Like those of the Black-headed Cull; like pendulums crossing. 
Erratic Flights, or what I have been calling Erratic Flights, are 
remarkably common in these species. Whenever, for instance, I put up 
a flock of birds from the ground, a large proportion of them will 
start Erratic Flights, while it is only a much smaller proportion of 
them that will start Pursuit Flights, Swoops, etc. These Erratic 
Flights are very erratic indeed, with a terrific amount of twisting 
and turning, flying up and down, vertical plunges (sometimes for huge 
cli S 1b£lTlO00 ^ 
They do not appear, very often, to be orientated. It is certainly 
my impression, however, that they are rather more than alarm reactions. 
I would not be surprised to find that they contained a strong aggressive 
element. 
In general, it is obvious that all flights of this species tend 
to be more erratic than those of related species. This cannot be 
ascribed to the small size of the birds, (as Little Culls and xerns 
are much less erratic); but it may, conceivably, be due to a combination 
of small size, plus short wings. 
Bonaparte's, June 17 , 1955 * III* 
* 
