FOURTH WEEK. March 24 through March 30. 
Ingeneral, not a very good week. The first few days 
were as good as the previous week, hut the weekend was marred 
hy dreadful weather. This seemed to put the gulls hack considerably 
There seemed to he fewer gulls than previously, and those that 
were present seemed inactive. Nevertheless, they remained on 
the Hearth throughout the blizzard: (infact, they are now staying 
later at night: until 6:30). 
References . 
Swooping and Chasing . Seem as common as ever. 
Ground Ceremony . Includes HF sometimes (M. Mar 25, 3-4). 
Concentrated toward mate? (M. Mar 25). Are they more cursory now, 
due to the advanced state of the breeding cycle? (M. Mar27, 13). 
Circular Flights . The sitting bird often shows its white 
nape (in E posture) to the returning bird (M. Mar 25). Examples 
of the aggressive flights of males (M. Mar 25 and Mar 26). 
Example of a female who showed no aggressive behavior during her 
circular flights (M. Mar 25). Does the sudden departure of thw 
female, after a mutual display, provoke the male to an aggressive 
flight? (M. Mar 25, 11). 
Mutual Display . It seems definite now that females usually 
remain in F longer than the males (M. Mar 26, 8). We have been 
paying some attention to the "pecking at the ground" that is often 
seen during Mutual Displays. References to this behavior pattern 
are scattered all through the week’s notes. Is it an int. mov. 
of nest-building? Of feeding? Of regurgitation? Of Choking? 
Is it displacement? Once a bird was seen actually swallowing 
something (M. Mar 25, 4). Once a bird was seen to pick up a twig 
(R). 
^ Feeding of the female by the male . Descriptions of this 
procedure are common all through our notes. Particular examples 
. ^ (R. Mar 24, 4; R. Mar 26, 2). The posture of the male certainly 
differs from the Choking posture. On the water, it is often 
7 <■* accompanied by dipping the bill and head in the water and 
| s* head-shaking. Presumably autochthonous. Examples of birds, on 
the ground, dashing to the water to perform these fxxjtixg 
preening movements (R. Mar 26, 5). 
