The Herring Gull 
as early as the first of September. By October there is a fair sprinkling 
of this species in most harbor-haunting or coastwise flock of gulls, but the 
local status of the species is incessantly changing. Much depends upon 
weather conditions in southern Alaska and British Columbia. A storm or 
a cold snap as late as January will bring thousands of gulls of this and 
allied species hurrying down from the North, and may quite alter the com¬ 
plexion of the local gull fauna. 
Many birds attach themselves to coastwise vessels, and some few 
follow faithfully from Eureka to San Francisco, or from the Bay Cities to 
San Diego. Vessels plying to Portland and Puget Sound ports put further 
out to sea, and so lose their Larine super-cargoes, but as they approach 
the Golden Gate they are greeted by waiting crews of these enthusiastic 
and hungry servitors. When not dancing in close attendance upon ships, 
the gulls move extensively along the coastline at the dictation of the pre¬ 
vailing wind. Even in midwinter, when the birds would prefer to remain 
in the South, they seem to have no choice but to breast the wind, and so 
will move up the coast hundreds of miles in a day, if the wind is from the 
west or northwest. They work their way down coast again in calm 
weather, or else breast the south wind. In migratory flight, or when 
Taken in Santa Barbara County Photo by the Author 
FOLLOWING THE PLOW 
^397 
