Lake limb agog, Maine 
Larus a. smithsonianus . 
1890. 
Oct.24. 
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At noon a young Herring Gull alighted on the water just 
off our landing and spent nearly half-an-hour trying to swal¬ 
low a dead pickerel which was too large for him. He tore it 
to pieces about the head when it would begin to sink the mo- . 
ment he let it go. Each time he would recover it by plunging 
his head and neck under water. At length he missed his aim 
and the fish doubtless sank beyond his reach for he rose on 
wing at once to the height of ten or twelve feet, closed his 
wings and plunged down head first going quite out of sight 
excepting the tip of his tail but he came up without his fish. 
He took his disappointment very coolly and floated on the 
waves for several minutes plunging his head under them and 
scattering the water over his‘.back at the same time thrashing 
the surface with his wings. He was so tame that one of my men 
rowed past him within ten yards last evening and I sailed my 
canoe within 50 yards of him before he flew 
