46 
THE HERRING OR SILVERY GULL. 
Larus argentatus, Brunn . 
PLATE CCCCXLYin.— Male. 
On the 22d of May, 1833, 1 was kindly received with my party on board 
the United States revenue cutter Swiftsure, commanded by Captain Cool- 
edge, and on the morning of the next day was landed on White Head 
Island, at the entrance of the Bay of Fundy. This island is the property of' 
a worthy Englishman of the name of Frankland, who received us with 
great hospitality, gave us leave to ransack his dominions, and invited us to 
remain as long as we pleased. The Herring Gulls, he said, were breeding in 
great numbers, and we might expect good sport. We immediately set out 
in search of them, directing our course toward the pine woods, in which we 
were informed we should find them, and in approaching which we passed 
over an elevated marsh of great extent. As we came up to the place I 
observed that many of the Gulls had alighted on the fir-trees, while avast 
number were sailing around, and when we advanced nearer, the former took 
to wing, abandoning their nests, and all flew about uttering incessant cries. 
I was greatly surprised to see the nests placed on the branches, some near 
the top, others about the middle or on the lower parts of the trees, while at 
the same time there were many on the ground. It is true I had been in- 
formed of this by our captain, but I had almost believed that, on arriving 
at the spot, I should find the birds not to be Gulls. My doubts, however, 
were now dispelled, and I was delighted to see how strangely Nature had 
provided them with the means of securing their eggs and young from their 
arch-enemy man. My delight was greatly increased on being afterwards 
informed by Mr. Frankland that the strange habit in question had been 
acquired by these Gulls within his recollection, for, said he, “when I first 
came here, many years ago, they all built their nests on the moss and in 
open ground ; but as my sons and the fishermen collected most of their eggs 
for winter use, and sadly annoyed the poor things, the old ones gradually 
began to put their nests on the trees in the thickest parts of the woods. 
The youngest birds, however, still have some on the ground, and the whole 
are becoming less wild since I have forbidden strangers to rob their nests ; 
for, gentlemen, you are the only persons out of my family that have fired a 
