The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-03-16
Queer Habits OF GuIlp.

the gulls appear larger than they are il
reality, as seen when, on ample, slowly-tlap
ping pinions, they sail along in circlinl
course, intent on the waves beneath. Rapit
though their flight undoubtedly is thci
powers arc rather calculated for endurance
and the ease with which they make theil
way. Opposing the head in Il direct line
to the wind, they ride out the sevcrcst tenn
pest; and the higher and roughcr the waves,
the more abundantly Is their prey brought
within reach. All gulls prefer fish diet,
but ,gulls cannot dive to get below the sur
face. The gull must rise on the wing and
drive herself into the water by main force.
She is thus denied the power of selection
which the diver possesses, and must take
hold where she can, provided the fish is
not too large to swallow. in the season
when her brood is growing this would prove
a serious drawback on the parents efficiency
but for an internal provision. Fish do not
always rise to the surface. At certain sea-
sons Of the year and in severe weather at
any season, fish generally swim deep in the
water and give thesurface fishers no chance
AT such times, the gull must depend on
shell-fsh exposed along the shores by the
ebbing tide; and here, too, the gull seems
placed at a disadvantage. The crow, if
fortunate enough to find shell-f fish, rises
with it into the air, letting it fail on stone
whereby the shell is broken and the fish
easily obtained; but the gull either does not
know of this plan or considers 1t a waste of
means as she invariably swallows the shell
fish whole. But shells are indigcstiblc
even for a rull. The gull, if so fortunate
rs to catch small bird Cat pinch, any
thing that can go down, is acceptablc) does
not pick its bones like crow, but swallows
it entire, and feathers are as indigcstblc in
their way rs shells. Further. the gull, if
very hungry, will feed on grain for a time
and seem none the worse, while bird with
q stomach adapted to masticatc animal food
only could derive no benefit from grain, but
positive harm. The gull iray be said to
have three stomachs. The first stomach
begins Mt tho mouth, or mandiblcs, extend
ing to the entrance ut the breast, where the
second or stomach proper, begins, and
which terminates in the third, or gizzard.
The entrance at the mouth is more than
twice the size of the entrance to the other,
so that fish or other object too large to en-
ter the second stomach is safely swallowed
and retained in the first, either till reduced
80 as to pass easily, Or to be vomtcd when
required to feed young ones. Shell fish urc
retained in the first stomach until the fish
vomitcd A small bird is retained in the
same way, till only the feathers and harder
bones remain, and these are thrown uD in
like manner. And so with every other in
digestible substance taken along with food:
it never goes into the second stomach, cx-
ccpt grain. These, after time in the first
stomach, pass on through the second to the
gizZard, there to be pounded into no,lrsh-
ment for the bird The advantages of this
remarkable provision in tho gull are no
doubt many, but the following is instructive
and clear. have seen gull come to her
nest and vomit big fish for her young gulls.
In less than Il minute she swallowed the
fish, flew to e projecting crag in sight of
her nest, and eat down for half an hour,
after which she flew back and vomitcd the
fish to her hungry family. Now this strange
proceeding was simply a necessity. a
fresh fish will not pick easily Off the bones.
and the bcak Of the young gulls ls soft.
The fish in the case before us had been too
short Il time in the parents stomach to be
easily dcvourcd by the young guils. Be-
sides, herring is the common fish obtained
and herring have more or less oil below the
skin and about the fins. This oil is very
hurtful for young birds makes them sick
and miserable; but short time in the first
stomach of the old gull extracts this OIL
sending it on to the second stomach to feed
the parent, while the fish is not only rem
uered more wholesome for her family, but
she can afford TO give them the whole of
1t, being herself sustained by the extract.
In feeding tame gulls had to avoid her
ring, although knew 1t was much valued
J by parent gulls; and failed, us | at Inst
ulscoYcrcd, because could not extract the
'slckenlng oil without spelling the fish.
'Ahc process of mastication in The first
stomach of the gull is not a little remarka
Dle. Take, for example, a small bird.
The second day after the gull has swallowed
1t, she yomits an object round as a bobbin,
about an inch and a half long, or it may be
two inches, and tapering to ono end like n
neatly-formcd plug. When this is dry, as
II Is soon, examine it. 1t is compound
OF feathers, with the legs, feet, bill, and a
pit or two OF the harder wing bones of the
blrd, carefully folded in the center. Dur
ing the time since the bird was swallowed
ceascless process has boon going on to
convert the bird into pulp and send it on to
the second stomach. But the entrance to
the second stomach is small, hence pro-
cess like whiting plug-only the rcduc-
ton goes on in the center of the plug. NOT
on the surface-until everything nutritious
is extracted, and then tho refuse is at once
rejected. This process is evidently enjoyed
Dy the bird all tho time. Now suppose you
give gull fish while the bird is incxhaustcd
IN her maw. She takes the fish readily.
and apparently the bird lies in her stomach
neglected. until the fish is disposed of, and
then the bird is put into the mill afrcsh and
finished, tho only difference being a day
later ere the fcQthcry stOpncr ia thro,v,, ny
If gull is in difficulties she at once throws
out the contents of her first stomach-ncycr
what has passed into her second. Docs
nature anticipate such difficulties by press
OF work in the first stomach with the object
OF having its contents slowed away in tho
second as soon as possible?