LARID.E — THE GULLS AND TERNS — LARUS. 



237 



We find, upon the comparison of eleven adult American specimens with four adults of the 

 European Herring Gull/ that the differences between the two, as stated by Dr. Coues, are quite 

 constant, particularly as regards size, as may be seen from the following averages of each series : 



Average, 

 Smallest, 

 Largest, 



Average, 

 Smallest, 

 Largest, 



Wing. 

 17.24 

 17.00 

 17.50 



Wing. 



16.07 

 15.75 

 16.25 



2.55 



Middle toe. 

 2.10 

 1.85 

 2.25 



Middle toe. 

 2.00 

 1.90 

 2.15 



An adult female from Cumberland Sound (No. 76222; L. Kumlien) measure.? as follows : Win'^, 

 16.25 inches ; culmen, 1.95 ; depth of bill at angle, .75 ; the dimensions thus agreeing very closely 

 with those of European specimens. 



Assuming as one and the same species the Herring Gulls of the Atlantic coasts 

 of Europe and America, we find for this species quite an extended range. The 

 recent discoveries of Mr, Saunders, showing that on the Mediterranean this species 

 is nearly or quite replaced by the cachinnans ; and the more recent investigations 

 of jNIr. Eidgway, proving that the same replacement occurs on our Pacific coast — 

 compel us greatly to diminish the area of distribution once attributed to this bird. 



According to Mr. Eidgway, only a single example of this species has been detected 

 on the Pacific shores ; this came from British Columbia. Its area of range as given 

 by Mr. Saunders is the northwest of Europe from the Varanger Fiord, the Baltic, 

 and the western coast generally, down to Il^orth Africa, the Azores, Madeira, and 

 the Canaries. It is in Greenland a rare straggler, but has been obtained at Winter 

 Islands, near Melville Peninsula ; it also occurs in the Hudson's Bay Territory, as 

 far as Mackenzie Eiver, and thence probably to the Pacific coast ; since there is a 

 specimen of this bird in the St. Petersburg Museum collected at Kadiak by Wosnes- 

 sensky. Several specimens from the west coast of Mexico are in Mr. Saunders's col- 

 lection. It also ranges down the American coast as far as Texas ; and even visits 

 Cuba and the Bermudas. 



This is a common species in Great Britain, where it remains on the southern coast 

 through the whole year, and in the summer breeds on all the sea-coasts and islands 

 where these are bordered by high cliffs. It is everywhere a bold and familiar bird, 

 fearlessly approaching the boats and nets of the fishermen. It is especially abun- 

 dant on the islands of the Outer Hebrides, breeding on tlie coast, but not in the inte- 

 rior. The cliffs of Sumburgh Head — the southern termination of Shetland — is 

 another point where it is very abundant. It is also very numerous in the Orkneys, 

 in the Faroe Islands, and in Iceland. It is resident throughout the year on the coast 

 of Holland and France ; and during the winter on that of Spain. 



It is one of the most common Gulls on the coast of Scandinavia, even extending 

 its range as far as the North Cape ; but it is not known to breed in the southern por- 

 tion of the country, with the exception of the province of Gotland. The Isle of Sylt, 

 in Denmark, is one of its great breeding-places ; and here, according to Kjarbolling, 

 from thirty to forty thousand of their eggs are annually collected for exportation. 



1 From Denmark, Germany, and the Orkneys. 



