Page:The birds of America, volume 7.djvu/178

128 standing near the water's edge, and picking up the marine insects which were cast on shore. A solitary individual was seen in Prince Regent's Inlet, on Sir Edward Parry's first voyage, and many specimens were pro- cured in the course of the second voyage on Melville Peninsula. Captain Sabine also killed a pair at Spitzbergen, so that it is a pretty general summer visiter to the Arctic Seas, and is entitled to be enumerated amongst the European as well as the American birds. It arrives in the high northern latitudes in June, and retires to the southward in August. Specimens pro- cured in June and July corresponded exactly with the one described below. When newly killed, they all had a delicate pink blush on their under plumage. The eggs, two in number, are deposited on the bare ground, and are hatched in the last week of July. They are an inch and a half in length, and have an olive colour with many brown blotches."

At the approach of autumn, it frequently happens that several species of Gulls associate together, and at times congregate in great numbers on the outer margins of sand-bars and in the large estuaries. There they keep up a constant cackling, run about, dress their plumage, and await the rising of the waters. If disturbed at such times, they shew greater shyness than perhaps at any other. One of the oldest birds sounds an alarm, and all simultaneously take to wing, disperse, and gi'adually rise to a great elevation, flying in wide circles, and moving seaward. I have thought it remarkable that these birds seldom shun the fishermen, while towards any one bearing the semblance of a gunner they act with extreme caution. Although loqua- cious when congregated, they are, when separated, quite silent, especially when on wing. In squally and rainy weather they skim low over the water or the land, always against the wind. They are very tenacious of life, and often, when wounded, revive after you had considered them incapable of breathing. The instant they are caught they are wont to mute and eject the contents of their stomach, as well as when suddenly compelled to take to wing, or when pursued by predaceous birds. In particular states of the weather they appear at a distance much larger than they really are, and, on such occasions, they also seem much nearer, so that the gunner is greatly deceived, and may shoot at them when too far off.

Larcs Sabini, Fork-tailed Gull, Swains, and Rich. F. Bor. Amer., vol. ii. p. 423. Fork-tailed Gull, Nutt. Man., vol. ii. p. 295.

Forked-tailed Gdll, Larus Sabini, Aud. Orn. Biog-., vol. iii. p. 561. Male, 13, 33.

Accidental as far south in winter as New York. Rather common along the coast of Nova Scotia. Breeds in Newfoundland, and along the coasts of the Arctic Seas. Seen on the banks of Newfoundland in great numbers.