New-York tribune., 1901-02-10

building begins and the laying season usually
begins about May -. about two months after
arrival on the breeding grounds. The nests are
crude and rough affairs, consisting of nothing
more than of sticks
The birds are easily tanned, and one instance
is related in the report of Mrs. Stanley the
wife of a light keeper which deserves notice.
She says that on occasion her children
brought up a brood of four orphaned gulls and
took them to the hotel for the summer. 1.-The
birds lived on a ledge of rock near the house
and We're so tame that the guests of the house
could pick them UP. handle and feed them as
though they We're domestic animals They re-
mained with them until late in the season. and
We're finally wantonly shot by some passing
gunners who left them Tying on the rocks as an
evidence of their wicked cruelty"
In response to the question whether the dark
colored birds ever mated with the white birds.
Mrs Stanley said that they did when they were
two years old Her reason for this belief was
as follows: On one occasion a young gull had
lost one Of its legs just above the knee. The
wound healed, but the bird was a cripple. and
had to hop and stand ON the perfect leg They
fed the bird and 1t became tame. In the fall
it left with the other gulIs and returned with
them the next spring. exhibiting it's old farnil-
iarity. That season. when the bird was only
one year DID, it did not mate. 1t remained on
anu ABOUT tne lSldnu All tHt ScdSOh, UeHdiNA
with the others their southwark migration
The following season it returned again and was
still partially dark coIOred. Ii secured white
mate and raised a brood of young. Mrs Stanley,
to illustrate how the birds have been prosecuted.
said that a gang of stoEecUtters from Black
Island. where there is large quarry. came TO
Duck Island occasion, and while there
gathered up at least two three bushels Of
eggs and after having set up mark used the
eggs as missiles Indian hunters claimed TO
have killed on the two Duck Islands during
the year 1890 least twenty-eisht hundred
guIs. This year the number of Suns about
the Duck Islands and in South West Harbor
showed marked decrease over the numbers
in 1899 and before. All of the garbage from
the hotel is taken out into the harbOr and is
dumped the ebb tt.e. Hundreds OF guIls
We're always awaiting the dumping hour, but
this year the fock exeeedinsly small in
comparison with tho numbe IS prior to 1899,
There is probably place on the Atlantic
Coast south Of newfoundland where one may
see many herring ,ruIls as on the island OF
No Mans LAM. in Maine This island has
area Of about twelve acres. and is situated
about mile from Natincus Island. about sew
enceen miles south OF I;ockiaHd. Petrels are nu-
merous Great Duck Island but
ever seen in daylight. As soon il is dark
they may be flying about. utterins their
peculiar cry. which sounds like "JOhnnie-put-
your jacket-on." The old birds when on the
breeding grounds have four different notes. the
most common bein4, a loud k.,k kak- kal,. another
is deeper. call. still another is note
almost like the honk of wild goose. while still
another resembles in some degree the whistle OF
red-taied hawk. The young birds utter a low.
weak squeaI