The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1892-07-14
GULLS OF THE LAKE.
Birds That Safely Breast tne
Fiercest Gales
xv,,h a skin and Precision That Is Msr-
velous, They wrest Their F"od
from the Very Jaws OF
tho Tempest.

,,;n;oned birds of La,1o Michigan in
their Quest for food along the surf which
washes the city shore have raised one
of the many exceedingly Interesting
sights furnished by this cvcr-changing
panorama of fascinating water which
too many Chicagoans think Il loo com
mon to be worthy sAe least attention.
These great birds, says the Cmcago
Tribune, look much Like eagles, OF
which they ore tyg4 They are typical
chicaroans. Many OF them race IN
with the suburban trains in the morn
inc. and out again to the wooded shore
lands at night. They seem to like the
din and roar of city life. Daily they |
pursue their tracllless path deep into
the city's heart, and not infrequentiy
sound forth their satisfaction at what
they see from it's business housctops.
These great, eaglc-lil1c birds are de-
voted workers for Chicago, workers for
the happiness of Chicago people. Ther
wings measure nearly three feet from
tip to tip, and their power noth 10 soar
and poise in the teeth OF the ahgr'est
gale is marvel The fact that the
wings of these lake gulls are heavily
muscled gives little clew to the Won
dcrful secret, for when In mid-air 1t
seems as though they must be entirely
Mt the mercy of the gale, particularly
when posing, for at such moments
they are maintaining certain definite
position with apparently no effort, and
their entire appearance Is that OF
statuesaue repose. For many seconds
at a time they may be seen thus poised
while perhaps within speaking distance
huge lake craft with hundreds of tons
ce ballast reel and staggcr almost to
capsizing by reason Of the hurricane
that is sweeping tho lake. AS an ex-
ample of how exceeding far the cum
ming of nature surpasses the alleged
wisdom of man, the motionlcss poise of
these gulls of the lake, mid-air in
raging storm, gives evidence most strik-
ing.
II the storm brings the human mariner
distress, and often death, it is the kind
licst friend the lake gull knows. For
the storm does the lake gulls market
ing for him; it is his greatest proyioer of
food. Therefore, when tempest is howl
ing and angrily hurting the pillows IN
land from off the great, rocking plateau
of water is the time to see these gulls
busiest in their quest for food. A storm
ON the lake means die casting towards
shore of quantities OF dead fish which.
were it not for the gulls, would add to
the city's pestilontial possibilities. With
keen eyes scanning the Surging flood
these great birds, riding rnid-air, and
usually but q short league from shore,
wait as If Mt perfect case for the ap-
pearance Of their food. Sighting a fin
nv carcass, they take position immc-
diately above it, then drop like a shot
upon their prize, and seemingly with
out touching the water they seize the
fish and soaf L3.2afully away The alb
solute nicef, 18th which they gauge
their drop VII: i i usually distance
of not less than iifty feet.-involving an
accurate calculation as to the distance
the fierce wind may carry them be
tween the moment OF their folding theii
wings and the instant they will reach
the water, together with the calcula
ton of the shift Of position occasionet
to the fish by the surging waters upor
which it floats, is something past al
finding out. OF course no one presume'
for moment that the gull does any
mental figuring on these points; no
one-thousandth part the calculating
that man would do when about t.
swim narrow, swiftly-lowing strean
and make q certain point on the oppo
site side. And yet the feat performe'
by. the gull is probably thousan'
times more wonderful than that of tn
man who swims swift current accord
ing to his calculations.
The curious may wonder why tn
gulls do not wait until their favorit
food has been thrown up on the beach
and then take 1t with seemingly les
danger to themselves. Well, the reaso
is that unlike many people the lax
gull never loses any time waiting for q
ship" that may never land. Its know
edge of wind and water tells it it's foo
may be washed to within rod of shor,
then the storm which brought it may 9
down, leave 1t there, and another storl
spring up from the island and wash
away again. When dead fish are nc
plentiful the menu of the gull Is mac
up OF refuse matter generally, which
flung up by the waves, as well as {
various marine creatures left upon IL
sands when the storm has abated. Whe
the elements have proven negligent
its behalf, this bird resorts to incursioI
inland. At such times the more distil
gushing traits Of its honorable an
fearless ancestry assert themselves.
is bold and independent, even to insis
Ing that fishermen along the piers Al
bound to share their bats with it.
seems to prefer that they do so willin
ly. II they don't it will suddenly drc
down beside them, take mouthful
the grubs or minnows, which have pr
viously been located from great dl
tance above, and then soar away, lea
ing the startled fisherman to wond
what happened.
Seen at distance the lake gull seer
Of but one color, muddy brown.
close view, however, shows the ne
and head to be of white and the renal
der of the body, including the win
gray, variegated with white edges a
tips. The tail and whole undersurfa
are pure white, and the legs and Il
are ashen green.