48 
SILVERY GULL. 
in length, by two in breadth, have an oval somewhat pyriform shape, are 
rough though not granulated, and are of a dull yellowish earthy colour, 
irregularly blotched and spotted with dark-umber. They are nearly as large 
as those of the Great Black-backed Gull ; but they differ considerably in size 
as well as in colour, some being more or less rounded or elongated. The 
yolk is bright orange, the albumen bluish-white ; and they are excellent 
eating. 
About the beginning of May the Herring Gulls collect into great flocks 
for the purpose of reproducing, and betake themselves to large sand-bars or 
mud-flats at low water, where their cacklings may be heard at a great dis- 
tance. With the aid of a glass you may see them going through their court- 
ships ; the males swell their throats, walk about proudly, throw their heads 
upwards, and emit their love-notes. These general meetings take place at 
all hours of the day, according to the state of the tide, and continue for 
about a fortnight, when they all depart and betake themselves to the islands 
on which they breed. Several of these are situated near the one mentioned, 
and there is one near Cape Sable, a few miles from the most southern point 
of Nova Scotia, on which we saw thousands alighted on the trees as we 
were sailing along that coast on our way to Labrador.^ Some individuals 
begin to lay about the 19th of May or a few days earlier, while others have 
not finished the process until the middle of June. During this period they 
resort at certain hours to bare rocky islets, on which they copulate. At 
White Head Island, while we were seated on the edge of a beautiful sand- 
bar eating our dinner, we saw, on one of these rocks, a vast number, forming 
as it were a dense mass, which covered about half an acre. At twelve 
o’clock, we observed that all those which were not sitting on their eggs, 
flew over us find alighted on the sea, about half a mile from the shore, where 
they remained upwards of an hour, swimming gracefully but in silence all 
the while. A seal happening to raise its head above the water frightened 
them, and all raised their wings as if about to fly. Soon after they rose all 
at once, separated, and went off in search of food, but returned in less than 
an hour to the island, flying high and cackling loudly. A little before sunset 
all those unoccupied with incubation went off to the same rocky islands to 
roost, flying in silence, and mostly in files. It was curious to observe that, 
whenever a large flock made towards the sea cackling, all the Ducks about 
immediately flew off to a considerable distance, as if afraid of them ; and 
we saw that these Gulls, although timorous in the presence of man, shew 
great courage in attacking predatory birds, such as Jays, Crows, Ravens, 
and even Hawks, which they pursued and forced into the deep woods, or 
drove away from the vicinity of their nests. 
Shy and wary nearly in as great a degree as the Black-backed Gull, they 
