SILVERY GULL. 
49 
were with difficulty obtained, unless we approached them under cover. The 
least noise made them instantly leave their perch, and although there were 
six of us, each furnished with a good gun, and some sufficiently expert, not 
more than a dozen were killed that day, and all of them while flying. The 
moment one started, it would sound an alarm, on which hundreds would rise 
and sail over us, at such a height that it was useless to shoot at them. Now 
and then, one accidentally passing low over the woods, was brought down. 
While returning in the evening we shot one at a great height, having merely 
broken the tip of its wing. Having caught it, we placed it on the narrow 
path, on which it ran before us nearly to the house of the Governor, as Cap- 
tain Frankland is called. It offered no resistance, but bit severely, and 
now and then laid down to rest for a few moments. It ran fast enough to 
keep several yards before us, cackling all the while, and once suddenly made 
off from the path at a rapid rate. 
Their flight is as strong as that of the Great Black-backed Gull, but more 
buoyant as well as graceful. During the love season their aerial evolutions 
are extremely beautiful ; they pass through the air in wide circlings, at a 
great height, and then come down in curious zigzags until near the tops of 
the trees, or the surface of the sea. While in pursuit of fish, they dart in 
curved lines with great rapidity, frequently wheeling suddenly when over 
their prey, and falling towards it. When travelling, they pass indifferently 
over the land or the water, but generally at a considerable height. Their 
food consists principally of herrings, of which they destroy great numbers, 
following the shoals. They also feed on other fishes of small size, shrimps, 
crabs, and shell-fish, as well as on young birds and small quadrupeds, and 
suck all the eggs they can find. The rocky shores of the islands on which 
I found them breeding are covered with multitudes of sea-urchins, paving 
short greenish spines, which gives them the semblance of a ball of moss. At 
low water the Herring Gulls frequently devour these animals, thrusting their 
bill through the shell, and sucking its contents. They also take up shells in 
the air, and drop them on the rocks to break them. We saw one that had 
met with a very hard mussel, take it up and drop it three times in succes-- 
sion, before it succeeded in breaking it, and I was much pleased to see the 
bird let it fall each succeeding time from a greater height than before. They 
seem to go out to sea in search of food at particular periods, setting out at 
the first ebb and returning to the shore as the tide rises. 
The young are at first fed chiefly with shrimps and other small Crustacea, 
which are picked up from the mud-bars or along the shores. They are then 
of a deep rusty colour all over, and when fully feathered they retain a good 
deal of that hue, but the feathers are edged with light grey or brown ; the 
feet and legs are of a greenish-blue colour, including to purple ; the bill dusky 
Vol. VIII .—' 1 
