BONAPARTE'S GULL. 
(Larus Philadelphia.) 
LYNDS JONES. 
THE whole of North America is 
the home of this pretty little 
gull — from the Bermudas to 
Labrador on the east, California 
to the Yukon on the west, and from 
the Gulf of Mexico at least to the Arc- 
tic circle. This species is often com- 
mon near streams and other bodies of 
water large enough to furnish their 
food of fish. I have often seen flocks 
of twenty or more birds passing over 
central Iowa during the vernal migra- 
tions, sometimes even stooping to 
snatch some toothsome grub from the 
freshly turned furrow, but oftener 
sweeping past within easy range in 
that lithe, graceful flight so character- 
istic of this small gull. To the farm 
boy, shut in away from any body of 
water larger than an ice pond, where 
no ocean birds could ever be expected 
to wander, the appearance of this bird, 
bearing the wild freedom of the ocean 
in his every movement, is truly a 
revelation. It sends the blood cours- 
ing hotly through his veins until the 
impulse to get away into the broader 
activities of life cannot be put down. 
I know not why it is, but some birds, 
seen for the first time, seem to waft 
the perfume of an unknown country to 
us, well-nigh irresistibly calling us 
away upon a new field of exploration 
or endeavor. 
The flight of Bonaparte's gull is 
worthy of careful study. In common 
with the other members of the group 
of gulls, he progresses easily by con- 
tinuous leisurely wing beats, each 
stroke of the wings seeming to throw 
the light body slightly upward as 
though it were not more than a feath- 
er's weight. In the leisurely flight the 
watchful eye is turned hither and 
thither in quest of some food morsel, 
which may be some luckless fish ven- 
turing too near the surface of the 
water, or possibly floating refuse. The 
flight is sometimes so suddenly ar- 
rested that the body of the bird seems 
to be thrown backward before the 
plunge is made, thus giving the im- 
pression of a graceful litheness which 
is not seen in the larger birds of this 
group. 
It is only in the breeding-plumage 
that this species wears the slaty 
plumbeous hood. In the winter the 
hood is wanting, though it may be sug- 
gested by a few dark spots, but there 
is a dusky spot over the ears always. 
It seems doubtful if the birds attain 
the dark hood until the second or 
third year, at which time they may be 
said to be fully adult. 
It was formerly supposed that this 
gull nested entirely north of the United 
States, but later investigations have 
shown that it nests regularly in north- 
ern Minnesota and even as far south 
as the Saint Clair Flats near Detroit, 
Mich. It may then be said to nest 
from the northern United States north- 
ward to the limit of its range. It is 
rare along the Alaskan coast of Bering 
sea, and there seems to be no record 
of it alongthe coast of the Arctic ocean. 
The nest is always placed in elevated 
situations, in bushes, trees, or on high 
stumps, and is composed of sticks, 
grasses, and lined with softer vege- 
table material. The eggs are three or 
four in number and have the grayish- 
brown to greenish-brown color, spotted 
and blotched with browns, which is 
characteristic of the gulls as a group. 
While the gulls are fish-eaters and 
almost constantly hover above the 
fishers' nets, often catching over again 
the fish which the nets have trapped, 
we never hear of any warfare waged 
against them by the fishermen. On 
the contrary, the gulls are always on 
the most friendly terms with them, 
gladly accepting the fish found un- 
worthy of the market. But let a bird 
of whatever kind visit the orchard or 
chicken-yard, for whatever purpose, 
and his life is not worth a moment's 
consideration. We need again to sit 
at the feet of fishermen as earnest in- 
quirers. 
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