20 NOTES ON THE 



points; bill, and inside of mouth dark carmine; iris bluish- 

 black; legs and feet deep red. 



Length, 18; wing. 13; tail, 5; bill. If; tarsus, 2. 



Habitat, Texas to Maine, and Middle American Pacific 

 Coast. 



Dr. Coues in his Birds of the Northwest (p. G51) discredits 

 my report of the observation of this species, made to the Min- 

 nesota Academy of Natural Sciences in 1874. With just as 

 much reason he will discredit my reaffirmation now (as he has 

 done in the case of the Orchard Oriole in the same work) but 

 "the world still moves" and facts remain just as stubborn as 

 ever before he compiled that very valuable work. 



LARUS PHILADELPHIA (Ord) (60.) 



BONAPARTE'S GULL. 



This beautiful little bird of its tribe reaches the principal 

 portions of the State early in April, the 10th being my own 

 earliest record, but it is often reported several days earlier at 

 Lake Shatek in Murray county, and in other more southern 

 localities. Individuals ai-e seen as late as the ^oth of May, and 

 there are the best of reasons for believing that some of them 

 at least breed on the islands of the larger inland lakes of the 

 northern counties and along the shores of Lake Superior. 

 Gulls are known to breed in considerable numbers in those 

 localities, their nests having been observed while occupied, 

 and this species corresponds to the general size and more 

 ostensible markings as popularly described by residents and 

 unscientific hunters who have resided in those sections for 

 many years. The earlier representatives reach the section 

 where my own opportunities are greatest often in the latter 

 part of August, and individuals are met occasionally as late as 

 the 5th of November, all of which would point to the probabil- 

 ities of the presumptions mentioned. Mr. Washburn found 

 them relatively common at Mille Lacs lake and Dead lake late 

 in October. He says "This graceful little Gull was seen almost 

 daily at Dead lake, and at other lakes throughout the countrj'; 

 sometimes a single bird, more frequently a pair, or a flock of 

 six or eight. When one bird is wounded, or killed, the rest 

 hover for several minutes over the unfortunate comrade, when 

 several may be secured." For many years after coming to this 

 State I believe that none of the Gulls bred within its borders, 

 but imperfect observations led me slowly to the conviction that 

 this species did so to a limited extent on the shores of Lake 



