324 BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND EASTERN NEW YORK 



Herring Gull. Larus argentatus 



24.00 



Ad. in summer. — Head, neck, tail, and under parts pure white; 

 back and wings pearl-gray; ends of quill-feathers black, the two 

 outer, for over seven inches, spotted near the extremity with white 

 and tipped with white; bill yellow; feet pale flesh-color. Ad. in 

 ivinter. — Similar, but head and hind neck streaked with grayish. 

 Tm. in the first lointer. — Upper and under parts brownish; tips of 

 wings and tail blackish. Later in various stages with whitish 

 head, and brown upper parts; tail white with a broad black tip; 

 bill crossed by a dark band at the tip. 



Nest, of grass, moss, etc., either on the ground or in trees. 

 Eggs, grayish-brown, blotched with chocolate. 



The Herring Gull breeds commonly along the coast of 

 Maine and less commonly on some of the inland lakes of 



Fig. 91. Herring Gull 



that State. On Great Duck Island off Mt. Desert, on Little 

 Spoon Island, and on No Man's Land very large colonies 

 now breed. In winter it is very common along the coast of 

 New York and New England and is the common gull in all 



