FAUNA OF THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS AND ALASKA PENINSULA 173 



usual findings when he says "Although perhaps occurring as a 

 straggler on the Eastern Aleutian Islands during the migrations, 

 it is nearly or quite unknown on the other islands of Bering 

 Sea, except those closely bordering the shoreline." 



On September 7, 1938, Scheffer noted a few of these gulls 

 feeding on scraps at the Akutan whaling station, and, on Septem- 

 ber 8, he noted them with glaucous-winged gulls feeding on 

 refuse behind the ship. 



Friedmann (1937) has recorded two humeri of this gull from 

 middens on Attu Island. 



Aside from Friedmann's find, there are no records west of 

 Akutan. In 1925, I noted this species at the cannery at False 

 Pass, and, on May 25, 1937, a few were seen at Ikatan Peninsula. 

 There are suitable lowland nesting places on Unimak Island. 



Nests and eggs were found among some small ponds on Dolgoi 

 Island on May 25, 1937. Evidently, nesting was just beginning, 

 for only one of the nests contained eggs. These gulls were 

 observed also at Sand Point and Unga, in the Shumagins, August 

 29, 1936. 



In 1911, Wetmore observed short-billed gulls at Thin Point 

 Bay and King Cove, and Gianini (1917) reports them at Step- 

 ovak Bay. On May 17, 1936, we found a widely scattered colony 

 of short-billed gulls on a wide marshy flat at Belkofski ; this 

 colony consisted of fifty to several hundred pairs. This was 

 the largest "colony" discovered. 



In 1925, I found these gulls nesting about Izembek Bay in 

 moderate numbers. Jaques (1930) found them to be common in 

 June in the Port Moller region, where they nest, and, at Snag 

 Point, Nushagak River, we found them to be common on May 

 23 to 26, 1936. They also were numerous on the tide flats near 

 Ugashik River, where they were preparing to nest. 



Hine (1919) noted the species at Kashvik Bay and obtained a 

 specimen. 



We saw one on May 12, 1936, at Kodiak, and we saw three 

 or four at Nagai, one of the Barren Islands, on May 16. We 

 had found them to be common at Seward on May 5 ; we saw a few 

 at Chisik Island, Cook Inlet, May 7; and we saw some that 

 appeared to be preparing to nest at Anchorage on May 9. 



This fairly well outlines the nesting range — from Unimak 

 Island to Kodiak, Seward, and Bristol Bay — which contains the 

 marshland that this gull desires. 



Taber (1946) reports four of these gulls at Adak Island, 

 January 12, 1946. 



