Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1911-12-20

/ sA6eAe ~ tNo no3kUy Cn4tLoo k1vof. IL 10
another warning about careful seeing, for
to overlook an important point 10 as mis-
leading - to get the habit OF seeing what
You would like to see in nature, rather
than what ID there.
As CULTS chief food is CLEANED from
the sea, it must nest o. close as possible
to Its source OF supply. You can easily
see that so large bird could never be free
from annoyance on our bathing beaches or
off-shore islands that are used a. summer
resorts; 90, as people fiocked to the shore,
more and more, the places where guIls
might nest in comfort grew fewer and
fewer, and they were driven to the remote
islands like those of the Maine coast,
Great Duck island, No Mans Land, and
others. It Is at Great Duck island that
10 to be found the largest colony Of gulls
within the United States.
But even here and on many lesser is
lands, with only lighthouses and their
keepers for company, where there were no
summer cottages or pleasure seekers, until
few weeks ago, the gulls were not safe,
for they, like the white herons Of the
South, were bonnet martyrs. These
beautiful white breast feathers were made
into feather turbans. Perhaps, on one
side OF these, smaller cousin OF the gull,
the tern, or sea swallow, with its coral red
beak, would be perched by way Of finish,
Or else, soft bands, made of the breast,
and some Of the handsomest wing quills
were used for trimming.
Not only were these feathers sold whole
sale to the plume merchants and mill
liners, but people who went to the coast
resorts would buy them of the sailors
simply because they were pretty, without
giving thought to the lives they cost, or
of how desolate and lonely the shores
would be when there were no more gulls.
They are very abciable birds at all times
OF the year, keeping In colonies even in
the breeding season, . time when song
and her land birds pair, and perfer to be
alone. Trees are sometimes used for nest
ing, but the ground 10 the usual place.
The nests, when on the ground or upon
fiat rocks, are built Of grass, moses, sea-
weed, and bits OF soft driftwood formed
into shallow bowl. II the edges OF this
crumble or fiatten while the birds are sit
ting, they use punches OF fresh grass or
seaweed to keep it in repair, with the re-
suit that the nest Is not only very taste
full object, but it blends perfectly with its
surroundings.
The eggs are very interesting because no
two are the same color, being OF every
shade OF blue and gray, from the color
OF summer sky and sand to the tint Of the
many -colored, water-soaked rocks them
selves. The markings vary also in shape
and size, and are in every shade OF brown,
through lilac and purple, to black. The
parents are very devoted to their nests,
and take turns in sitting.
When the young are first Matched,
though covered with down, they are very
weak in the neck and helpless; but in the
course OF few hours the little gulls are
strong enough to walk, and the instinct to
hide at the approach of anything strange
comes to them very suddenly, so that
gull only three or four hours old will slip
out OF the nest, and either hide beneath
few grass blades or fatten itself in the
sand, where, owing to its spotted, color
protective down, it is almost invisible, so
well does nature care for her children
provided that man does not interfere.
When q gull nests in q tree, however, the
little birds, not feeling the same necessity
for hiding, do not try to leave the nest
until the growth OF their wings will let
them fly.
On the sea beaches, squids and marine
refuse are fed to the young gulls, but
where they have nested near fresh, in
stead of salt, water many insects CLEANED
from the fields are eaten.
1t was in the gulls' nesting season that
the plunderers chose to go to their island
haunts, steal the eggs, and kill the parent
birds, whose devotion, like that OF the
white heron, left the old birds at the
mercy of the plume hunters.
I At the end of summer, the young, wear
ing their speckled suits, are able to join
the old in fiocks, ard it is then that they
scatter along the coast, some going from
the northern borders down to the Great
Lakes. In and about New York city,
thew are one Of the features OF the winter
scenery, as they fly to and fro under the
arches of the great bridge, and follow the
ships the entire length OF the harbor, and
out to sea. At night, they bed down 80
close together that in places they make
continuous line OF feathers on the waters
of the reservoirs and in the sheltered coves
OF the Hudson. From the banks OF River
side park, any autumn or winter aitef-
noon, SO Iorg as the channel is free from
ice, they may be seen flying about as fear
less as flock of domestic pigeons.
Hear what Mr.. Forbush has to say OF
these birds OF the sea-mist and spray:
"The true gull OF the sea, the spirit OF
the salt, is a sort Of feathered bell-buoy
and thus is Of use to the sailors, as there is
ample testimony to prove. In summer, in
thick weather, the appearance OF gulls and
terms in numbers, or the sound OF their
clarnorous voices, give warning 10 tne
L 10 The r0cka on which