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Studer, Jacob Henry, 1840-1904. / Birds of North America
(1903)
Plate LXXIV. Fork-tailed gull. (Xema sabinei.), pp. 113-114
Page 113
-~~~~~GLSSO GOE13 PLATE LXXIV. Fork-tailed Gull. (Xema Sabinei.) - Fig. 1. Captain J. Sabine has the honor of introducing this interesting species, in i8i8. It was discovered at its breeding station on some low rocky islands, lying off the west coast of Greenland, associ- ated in considerable numbers with the Arctic Tern, the nests of both birds being intermingled. Nuttall says: " It is analogous to the Tern, not only in its forked tail, and in its choice of a breeding- place, but also in the boldness which it displays in the protection of its young. The parent-birds flew with impetuosity toward those who approached their nests, and, when one was killed, its mate, though frequently fired at, continued on the wing close to the spot. They were observed to collect their food from the sea-beach, standing near the edge of the water, and gleaning up the marine insects which were cast on shore. A single individual was seen in Prince Regent's Inlet, and many specimens were procured in the course of the second voyage on Melville Peninsula. A pair were also obtained at Spitzbergen, so that it is a pretty general sum- mer resident on the shores of the Arctic Seas, and may thus be enumerated amongst the European as well as the American birds. It arrives in these remote boreal regions in June, and retires to the southward in August. The eggs, two in number, are deposited on the bare ground, and hatched in the last week of July. They are of an olive color, with many brown blotches, and about an inch and a half in length." Western Gull, Common Gull, Herring Gull.-(Larms argentatus, var. occidentalis.) Fig. 2. This bird is now considered a variety of the species known as the Herring or Common Gull. (Plate LIV., fig. 2.) It can readily be distinguished by the slaty bluish coloration of its man- tle. The Western Gull is abundant on the Pacific coast. Brehm says: " Gulls are to be met with in every quarter of the globe, but are most abundant in northern regions. A few species wan- der to a considerable distance from land, always, however, return- ing to the vicinity of the shore. All may, therefore, properly be called coast birds, and to the mariner they are always welcome as sure harbingers of land. Their flights inland are even more frequent than their excursions into the open sea, and many of them may often be seen following the course of large rivers, or winging their way from lake to lake, into the interior of the country. Some species will frequently settle in the vicinity of inland lakes, and most of them prefer a similar situation as their breeding-place. All of them live more or less upon fishes, but some also greedily devour insects, and then later migrate with the greatest regularity. Besides the above articles of nourishment, Gulls eagerly pick up whatever small animals or animal substances they may happen to meet with. Carrion they devour as greedily as do the Vultures, even if it be in a putrid condition. In short, they appear to share the appetites of many other birds, and to be quite as omnivorous as the Crows. All Sea Gulls walk well and quickly; they swim buoyantly, lying in the water like so many air-bubbles, and dive with facility, but to no great depth, plunging probably for not more than one or two feet below the surface. Their voice consists of a harsh, disagreeable scream. As their breeding time approaches, these birds begin to assemble in flocks, which are frequently joined by other parties, until at last they form a numerous host. The larger species crowd less closely together at these times than the smaller ones, the latter often literally covering the rocks on which their nests are so closely placed, that the brooding parents press upon each other. The structure of the nests varies in differ- ent localities; when grass and seaweeds are procurable they are carefully heaped together, but when these fail the nests are of still scantier proportions. The brood consists of from two to four com- paratively large oval eggs, with strong, coarse, brownish green, or greenish brown shells, spotted with gray and brown; upon these both male and female sit by turns for the period of three or four weeks. The young are clothed in a thick covering of speckled down, and shortly after emerging from the shell may be seen trot- ting about upon the sand, hiding themselves if alarmed behind lit- tle hillocks, or boldly plunging into the water. Such, however, as are born upon the ledges of perpendicular rocks, must neces- sarily remain there until their wings are strong enough to enable them to come down from their lofty perch, for they appear not to take the desperate leaps into the sea attempted by so many sea- birds to their destruction. During the first few days the young are fed with half-digested food from their parents' crop, and afterward with freshly-caught fishes, or other small animals. For some little time after they are able to fly they remain together, but soon quit their birth-place, and spread themselves along the coast." Saddle-back, Great Black Backed Gull, or Cobb. (Larus marinus.) Fig. 3. This is one of the largest-sized species of Gulls that are met with along the Atlantic coasts of America and Europe. At the approach of winter it migrates toward the Southern States, but rarely visits the interior or fresh waters. Nuttall says: "The Black-backed Gull feeds ordinarily upon fish, both dead and living, as well as on fry and carrion, sometimes also on shell-fish, and, like most of the tribe of large Gulls, it is extremely ravenous and indiscriminate in its appetites when pressed by hunger. It watches the bait of the fisherman, and often robs the hook of its gain. As Mr. Audubon justly and strongly remarks, it is as much the tyrant of the sea-fowl as the Eagle is of the land-birds. It is always on the watch to gratify its insatiable appetite. Power- fully muscular in body and wing, it commands without control over the inhabitants of the ocean and its borders. Its flight is ma- jestic, and, like the Raven, it soars in wide circles to a great ele- vation; at which times its loud and rancous cry or laughing bark of ' cak, cak, cak,' is often heard. Like the keen-eyed Eagle, it is extremely shy and wary, most difficult of access, rarely ob- tained but by accident or stratagem. It is the particular enemy of the graceful Eider, pouncing upon and devouring its young on every occasion, and often killing considerably sized Ducks. In pur- suit of crabs or lobsters it plunges beneath the water; has the in- genuity to pick up a shell-fish, and, carrying it high in the air, drops it upon a rock to obtain its contents; it catches moles, rats, young hares, gives chase to the Willow Grouse, and sucks her eggs, or devours her callow brood; it is even so indiscriminate in its ravenous and cannibal cravings as to devour the eggs of its own species. In short, it has no mercy on any object that can con- tribute in any way to allay the cravings of its insatiable hunger and delight in carnage. Though cowardly toward man, before whom it abandons its young, its sway among the feathered tribes is so fierce that even the different species of Joegers or Skua Gulls, themselves daring pirates, give way at its approach. The length of this species is thirty, and extent about sixty-five inches." Snow Goose, White Brandt. (Anser hyperborecs.) Fig. 4 This is one of our North American species, that is said to be very abundont in the West, much more so than in the East. Whe GULLS-SNOW GOOSE. 11B
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