The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-10
SEAGULLS' FLIGHT
FOR NESTING ISLANDS
Northern Birds Obey Instinct
as the Weather Grows
Warmer.

VANCOUVER. b. c.. May e--The guls
have commenced to leave Vancouver har-
Dor for their nesting Islands Some OF
these are not far away, and some are a
considerable distance from Vancouver. but
an instinct Just as reliable as the science
OF navigation guides the gull back TO the
rocky island where Il built It's nest and
laid It's eggs last year In less time than
II would take a navigator with a chart OF
the coast to find II and take his vessel
there.
In the old days. when the coast Indians
wanted eggs they would paddle their ca.
noes TO one of the small rocky nesting
Islands and, with brooins made Of spruce
boughs sweep all the eggs on the island
into the sea There were acres OF eggs
and II took some time to clear all the
eggs OF the rock. The thousands OF guils,
screaming In fury. flied the air around
the heads of the men with beating wings
and sometimes the sweepers had to drive
the birds away with their brooms. a
week afterward the canoes returned t.
the rock and gathered all the eggs they
could find. They knew they were fresh.
and there was Teasing in the Indian vii
lage for several days. People who have
eaten fresh gulls' eggs say they are ex
cellent.
There are many Of these nesting ISL
ands. but the law keeps the Indians
from sweeping now. on all the Islands
printed cloth warns those who would
de~olate the nests. Warning" II says In
large black type. Notice! Any person
or persons found molesting, destroying.
taking or In any manner interfering with
birds or eggs on this island will be prose-
cuted under the provisions OF the pro-
vincial game act.'
This poster Is scorned by the crows and
other birds OF prey. and the squirrels and
Indians and beach combers who desire
eggs pay little attention to 1t. But the
Islands are no longer swept as they used
to be. Besides the gulls tglaucous
winged). there are many thousands OF
gui,lemots and long necked cormorants
and pufins tsea parrots) and. II you 20
"a little further north. auks and sea quail
and three or four more kinds Of gull, and
the greatest of these Is the burgomaster
gull, the biggest sea gull that lives or
one OF the larger northern nesting islands
you will see more birds than you ever
hoped to see. To say there are millions
Of them seems a weak way OF expressing
IL. They are quite countless on a nesting
Island during the nesting season.
The claucous winged gulls. which are
the familiar harbor birds. live for severa
months on their nesting Islands. They
build their nests, lay their eggs. rniss
their young and teach them to get liv'
ing for themselves. There IL one OF these
Islands In the Gulf OF Georgia, few
miles from the town OF Sidney. and clos'
to the international boundary. II II
called Bare Island. IL Is little over nal
a mile long, running east and west. anc
several hundred feet high. II is snerel,
a big rock with prec!pitous sides. especi
! ally the south side.
Why seabIrd. which has beer
huffe;ed about by gales ever since !
was Matched. gets seasick the momen
| Il alights on the deck or a snip II
| a matter deep water shippers IN port have
puzzled over without reaching any salts
| factory conclusion. Even the storm,
petrol. according to these authorities. vi!
| be put out uf commission 10y the lehs
| roll OF a vessel Like every other fow
! used to being tossed about by the strong
est winds that blow. the petrol VIII mol
I over and gasp for breath. The chaps SCI
| ca plains call "bosuns." Astounding on th'
west coast. give a ship a wide berth. TIT
only one ever known locally TO go aboar'
a vessel was hurled against mast dur
/ ing a storm and Il dropped TO the drc'
with broken wing. The ship voyage
| hurt K more than its injuries. and IN
| bird had 20 be Killed 10 put Il out O
! misery. II e about the size OF n gul
and is adorned with two long red tai
feathers The Cape pigeon, found II
southern waters. Is said to be the be-
looking Of the long list OF sea BIRDS
When a particularly heavy storm Is rag
ing IL Is said they become tame ana cI'
easily be caugh. by hand.