NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 25 



47. Larus marinus LINN. [663.] 



Great Black-backed Gull. 



Hab. Coasts of the North Atlantic; south in winter to Long Island and Italy. 



The large and powerful Black-backed Gull, or Saddle-back, inhab- 

 its the Atlantic waters of Europe and North America. Breeds in great 

 numbers on the coast of Norway as far as North Cape. In various 

 parts of the British Islands it is found throughout the year, especially 

 on the islands around the coasts of Scotland, where it breeds in abun- 

 dance. On the American coast it breeds from the Bay of Fundy north- 

 ward to Greenland. Years ago it was known to breed quite commonly 

 on the islands off the coast of Nova Scotia. 



In Labrador it is common everywhere. Mr. M. Abbott Frazar 

 found it breeding on the small islands, placing its nests generally on 

 some elevated spot. He seldom found more than a half dozen pairs 

 breeding on a single island. The nests were built of dry grasses, were 

 very bulky and deeply hollowed. He found no nests containing more 

 than three eggs. During the breeding season the birds feed largely 

 upon the eggs of other birds, especially upon those of the Murre and 

 upon young Eider ducks.* 



The eggs of this Gull vary from a bluish-white or olive-gray to 

 a deep yellowish brown, and are irregularly spotted and blotched 

 with reddish-brown and lilac of different shades. The sizes vary from 

 2.70 to 3.20 long by 2.05 to 2.25 broad. 



49. Larus occidentalis AUD. [ 664.] 



'Western Gull. 



Hab. Pacific coast of North America, breeds from Southern California northward. 



The most abundant species of Gull on the California coast, breed- 

 ing on all suitable islands. It is the only gull which breeds on the 

 Farallones. Mr. Emerson states that on these islands the nest is built 

 either on high ridges or low places near the shore. The material used 

 is a dry, rank weed ; with this they construct their rather bulky nest 

 and repair or rebuild it each year. Of their general habits Mr. Bryant 

 says : 



"The gulls are indiscriminate feeders; in addition to their usual 

 articles of diet, they subsist largely upon eggs during the summer. 

 They do not eat the eggs of their own species, nor do they trouble the 

 cormorants after the murres have commenced laying. Sea urchins, 

 crabs, young murres and rabbits, and fish stolen from the cormorants' 

 nests are eaten. Not being quick enough to swoop upon the rabbits, 



* Ornithologist and Oologist, Vol. XII., p. 17. 



