The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1891-11-26
ouLLs IN THe CLOUDS.
Millions of Them Seen on tho South At
I.utjc eu,i Pacific, Co,st

I.ntic aud Pacific Coast.
Tho gulls constitute the fcathered or
naments of our harbors and shores,
their singnlarly graceful fight, long,
slender wir~s and striking contrasts in
black and white rendering them par
ticularly attractive. says the San Fran
cisco Chronicle. On the various por-
tions of the Atlantic and Pacific COASTS
their breeding places arc found, but it is
in the south, in isolated regions, that
they arc seen TO the best advantage and
in greatest numbers. Those who are ia.
miliaT with an occasional white winged
form flashing over Tic waters of The
harbor or bay ca;, form but little con-
ception of the appearance Of those
choice birds n.massc in the home of
their choice. On the southern borders of
the United States there are several To-
calitics famous rs bird collecting
places, but none moro interesting than
Bird Key, in the Gulf Of Mexico.
My first visit to the key was made
while examining the wreck Of large
ship that had grounded in years before
and was u conspicuous object about two
miles from the key. From the old
wreck noticed q singular dark cloud
hanging low over the island, rs though
some mysSorioas smoke had risen from
some invisible source and now floated
over the spot. Polling the boat over the
reef in that direction | soon solved the
mystery. The cloud was alive, mass
of active fuss and feathers: birds, birds
by the million, SO it seemed. One or
two came to mcet us, and now o distinct
murrnuring sound was heard growing
louder and louder Us we approached,
until soon the roar was dcafcning.
The terms now left the island by
scores and hundreds, flying about the
boat with wild cries, darting down with
menacing gestures. Myriads that had
been upon the ground rose, and what
had been an Indefinite cloud became an
almost solid mass of birds, creating a
noise like thunder, So that as our boat
crunched on the sandy beach our voices
were lost and we could only hear each
other by screaming. This had q si,lgu-
lar effect, us on the second every i.di-
vidual ceased its clatter, silence pro-
found seemed to reign and the birds
dived or swoopcd down rs if in fear,
to rise again and continue the avian up
roar.
The sight was most remarkable
one. The birds were Of two kilds-thc
blade-hcaded tern and the noddy-the
former beautiful creatures, with dark
heads and bright intelligent eyes, veri-
table spirits of the air and gale as they
fitted about; whilo the noddies, which
were sparsely represented, were dark,
with a pale light patch upon the head.
The gulls laid their eggs upon the
ground, the noddics in rude nests upon
the trees
The island or key occupied several
acres, perhaps twenty. and was covered
with low scrub Of bay cedar nowhere
more than ten feet il height, with here
and there patch of cactus or prickly
pear. Tho birds had precmptcd every
foot of ground, SO that it was difficult
to step or move in the bush without
treading upon tho attractive speclled
eggs.
The domestic arrangements were SIM
pie enough, us the eggs were hatched
by the sun and hot sand that cooled
but little during the night from the
baking it received during the day. The
only enemies the birds had were the
hermit crabs, that constitute the perma-
nent settlers of the island.