The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-04-15
GULLS AT A FEAST.
Large Flock of These Fowl Attract At
 tention as They Banquet.

tention as They Banquet.
 Just after the turn of the tide yester-
 day morning there were a number of
 men standing on the end of T whaf
 There was nothing remarkable in that
 fact though it was rather unusual tc
 have a clear end from which to see all i that was going on in the stream, but
 the severe gales of the previous days | had kept the fishing vessels from com 1 ing in, and so there was a smaller num- 1 Der at the wharf and the end was unoc-
 cupied
 1 The usual crowd of interested on- lockers was present; they were ready to
 be amused in any way The departure
 of the Admiral Faragut for Jamaica
 served to hold their attention for a time, but as soon as she got away from
 the shore all attention was turned to a l flock of gulls which had gathered at the end of the wharf to investigate the stream of broken ice and fish offal 1 which was running out on the tide from one of the schooners further up along side the wharf, which was cleaning out, preparatory to fitting out again for am other trip.
 The ice mixed with bits of fish was being poured over the side of the schooner by the basketfu, and so formed continuous stream of hotsam, running out into the harbor between two little catspaws from the northwest erly wind. The wharf made a lee of calm water along one side of this stream, and here the gulls were gather ing. There were perhaps two hunded of the birds, and they were circling about in the air; then flashing down into the water to snatch up bit of floating fish meat to fly away and eat it in some spot where they were unmo- tested. Then they would drop down into the water and float like little ves- sels riding at anchor.
 The air was quite filled with the birds. which seemed to keep regulari- ty of route in their methods. They flew with the sun-that is, from east to west, and striking the water where they saw the floating food, wougd grab the bit, and with two or three buck jumps" as boy would call them, striking the water with both feet two or three times. would fly away, gob bling down the bit; or would settle down toward the eastward, and swal low their booty, and rest a few minutes, a the same time drifting down with the tide Then they would repeat the per formance.
 All the time the flying birds were ut tering their peculiar squealine cry, which seemed to have note of excite ment or anger in it, as the pursuit of their food became more hot A gull would see a floating bit, and would seem to scream, 'I saw it first and make a dash for the bit of fish An other would shriek, That's mine" and make dash. One would seem to yell i've got it." and swoop down on bit and fly away with it dangling from his beak. Never would they seem to collide as they struck their prey. but always came down into the water gracefully and without interfering with one anoth- CT; but sometimes a bird would see an other with choice bit and would fol- low him to the still water and snatch it from his beak and gobble it down. obliging the poor robbed bird to make another foraging trip
 There were gulls of all descriptions present; some were almost white, with suggestion of black on the tips of the wings and tail; others were almost a pure gray. like a Maltese cat; others were like the common barn owl in col or, but evenly marked They would settle down into the water with their wings raised like the fabled Phoenix in it's nest of flames, then curling them