24 GULLS AND TERNS 



Mr. Grinnell reports the ring-billed gull as tolerably common along 

 the coast in midwinter, and Mr. Loomis has taken a few at Monterey. 

 In Colorado they are the only gulls found abundantly throughout 

 the state. Professor Cooke says they are very common in the fall 

 migration on all bodies of water below 9000 feet, and he has found 

 them breeding at the San Luis Lakes at an altitude of 7500 feet. 



Colonel Goss says that he has often seen the gulls on fall after- 

 noons sailing and circling about in the air, catching grasshoppers and 

 beetles. 



55. Larus brachyrhynchus EtcA, Short-billed Gull. 



Adults in summer. — Mantle light pearl gray ; rest of plumage, except 

 quills, white ; outer primary mainly black, with a large white spot near 

 end ; second primary with a smaller white spot, white tip, and wedge of 

 gray on inner web ; third with white tip and a large white space on inner 

 web between gray and black ; bill greenish, with yellow tip ; feet and legs 

 greenish. Adults in winter : head, neck, and chest mottled with dusky. 

 Young : upper parts grayish brown, feathers bordered with pale grayish 

 buff ; head, neck, and lower parts brownish gray ; tail gray at base, 

 brownish gray toward end, and narrowly tipped with white. Length: 

 16.50-18.00, wing 13.95, bill 1.45, depth of bill at angle .40-.50. 



Distribution. — Western North America, breeding far north ; south in 

 winter to southern California. 



Nest. — On an islet, in a lake or pond, bulky, made of grasses and 

 mosses. Eggs : 2 or 3. 



Mr. Loomis has found the short-billed gull common on both the 

 bay and ocean about Point Pinos in winter. 



56. Larus canus Linn. Mew Gull. 



Adtdts. — Similar in general appearance to brachyrhpichus, but with inner 

 webs of two outer quills mainly black behind the subterminal white spots, 

 and third quill mainly black except for small white tip. Length : 17.00- 

 18.50, wing 14.00-14.50, bill 1.35-1.60, depth of bill at angle .38-50. 



Distribution. — Northern Europe and Asia ; found in Labrador (?) and at 

 San Francisco Bay. 



The mew gull was formerly supposed to be confined almost 

 entirely to Europe and Asia, but Mr. Loomis finds that it is common 

 on the California coast in winter. 



67. Larus heermanni Cass. Heermann Gull. 



Adults in sinnmer. — Bill bright red ; head and upper neck white ; back 



sooty gray, secondaries 

 tipped with white ; prima- 

 ries and tail black, tail 



tipped with white; under 



p. ^2 parts dark gray. Adults in 



winter : head darker than 

 body, otherwise as in summer. Young : sooty gray, feathers of upper 

 parts bordered with whitish or pale buff ; or, entire plumage sooty gray 

 except blackish tail and quills. Length : 17.50-21.00, wing 13.50, bill 1.50. 



