Arizona silver belt., 1891-11-14
euLLs IN CLOUDS.
Millions ot Them on the south Atlanti,
 aud Pacific Coasts

Millions ot Them an the south Atlantic
 and Pacific Coasts
 The guls constitute the featherpd ornaments of our harbors and shores their singularly graceful flight. long slender wings and striking contrasts h, black and white rendering them par ticuarly attractive On the various portions oi the Atlantic and Pacific coasts their breeding places are found but it is iu the south in isolated regions thai they are seen to the best advan tage and in grelteSt numbers Those who are luniiiat with an occasional whlt- winged form flashing over the waters ui the harhor or bay can foriu iui little conception O, the appearance ol these blrdS en niasse in the homes ut then choice On the southern borders Of the United States there are several localities lannon's as bird collecting places but none more interesting than iiri key m the Oull oi Mexico.
 Ny first visit to the key was made while examining tine wreck oi large >np that had grounded in years before aud was 8 rop mcuouS object about tw" ulileN from the key From the old wreck unticpd singular dark cloud hauglly low over the island, aS though some luyStcuons smoke had risen from au myi,ible source and now lloated nve, Che spot Polling the bo;,i over th rec! in That direction soon solved tlie mystery The cloud was alive a ma>> oi active fuss and feathers, hr.a birl, by the ruJlliun so 1t seemed. Our or two came out rn meet uS and now a distinct muuuunug sound was heard growing loudrI and loader as we ap preached until >ool the roar was de;tl eniae
 The teTls now leit the island by scnr~ aud huudu living ahuu the Aaat with wild cries dauuIg down wtrll wpaacHig gesture Myrads that had brs Gpon rIic ground rose and what had hycn an mdcinitr cloud hrcan.r an .uu>i solid In'.sS of bIrdS creating n noise like thunder SD that aS ons bpal crutchpd un the sandy beach our voices were lost. and we could only hear each lrher by screaming This had Nn Hi'ar effect us nn the second every iu ,livdual ceased it> clarter silence pro iound Seetard to reign and tle birds dived or sNuoped down as il iu fear 70 rise again and continue the Rvian up rOar
 The sight was luoSt remarkable one The birds were of two kinds the blade headed reru and the uoddy the luriue, beautiful creatures with dark heads and bright intelligent eyes verItahle spirits of the air and gale Us they Hirted about while the noddies which were Nparsely represented were dark, with a pale light patch upon the head The gulb iaid their eggs upor the ground the uoddies in rude nests upon tle trees
 The island or key occupied several arrp>. perhaps twenty, and was CON cred with low scrub of bay cedar anywhere more than ten feet In freight. wiah here and there patch ol cactus ur pric&iIy pear The birds had pre- rmpted every foot Of the ground so tImt il was difficult to step or move in tJe bush without treadiug upon the attractive >pecSled eggs
 lle domestic arrangements were >lEpb. enough as the eggs were haie3ri by the sun and hot sand that cooled hur iitte during the night from illr baking 1t received during the day The auly enemies the birds had were the hermit crabs that constitute the prrmauent settler, of the island San Francisco Chronicle