Tortugas, May 1832.—Whilst here, I often saw the Black-headed Gull of Wilson, sucking the eggs of Sterna fuliginosa, and Sterna stolida. Our sailors assured me that these gulls also eat the young of these two species of Terns when newly hatched.
Great Egg Harbour, May 1829.—Like all other gulls, the Larus Atricilla disgorges its food when attacked by a Lestris, or when wounded, or suddenly surprised; but on all occasions of respite this gull is apt to return to it, and vulture-like to swallow it anew. It differs however from the larger species of gulls, by never, as far as I have observed, picking up bivalve shells, for the purpose of letting them fall to break them, and afterwards feed on their contents. On the ground they walk with considerable alertness, and not without a certain degree of elegance, especially during the love season. Whilst floating or swimming on the water, they are graceful in a high degree, and when seen, as they oftentimes are, in groups of many pairs, rising with, or sinking amidst the billows, which ever and anon break on the sandy shores of the coast, their alternate appearance brings to the mind of the bystander ideas connected with objects altogether different from the simple yet beautiful Laughing Gull.
April 1, 1837.—South-west pass of the Mississippi. L. Atricilla abundant here at this season, as well as at New Orleans. Saw some floating on logs during a heavy breeze. Not noisy yet, though they and L. zonorhynchus are in full spring dress (the old birds).
Barataria Bay, April 1837.—This species is abundant, following the porpoises, whilst the latter are fishing, and attending on them, as they do on the Brown Pelicans, which I saw here tormented by these birds, as in the Floridas. These Gulls follow the Brown Pelicans to their roosts, and along with them sit on grounded logs, at some distance from the shores, to avoid the attacks of racoons and other carnivorous animals.
Galveston Bay, April 26, 1837.—Black-headed Gulls are not unfrequently seen hovering over the inner ponds of these islands, as if in search of food. They are now all paired, and very noisy.
May 4.—I observed to-day that at the single cry of a Black-headed Gull, all others within hearing at once came towards the caller, and this never failed when any of them had found floating garbage on which to feed. These, as well as all other gulls, pat the water with their feet, their legs being partially extended, whilst assisting themselves with the bill to pick up any floating food. At this time the whole group emit a more plaintive single note than usual. They come not unfrequently within a few yards of our vessel at anchor, and when the food thrown to them is exhausted, they separate, and at once renew their repeated cries. I observed that the few immature birds among the old ones, were quite silent even when in the company of the adults. When the young are nearly able to fly, they are by no means bad eating.
Larus Atricilla, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 225.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 812.—Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of the United States, p. 359.
Black-headed Gull, Larus ridibundus, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. ix. p. 89. pl. 74. fig. 4.
Black-headed Gull, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 291.
Adult Male in spring. Plate CCCXIV. Fig. 1.