56 MICHIGAN BIRD LIFE. 



of Indiana, 1897, p. 574) that it has been occasionally seen by Mr. J. W. 

 Byrkit at Michigan City, Ind. (less than ten miles from the Michigan line). 

 The bird is so similar in size, pattern of coloration, and general habits 

 to the much more abundant Bonaparte's Gull that it might be easily over- 

 looked, and doubtless this has happened many times. It nests abundantly 

 in parts of Iowa and Minnesota, building substantial nests on rafts of 

 floating vegetation, and lays three or four heavily spotted eggs similar 

 to those of Bonaparte's Gull and averaging 1.95 by 1.34 inches. (See 

 article by Dr. T. S. Roberts, Auk VII, 1890, 272). 



TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION. 



Tarsus not longer than the middle toe and claw. Adult in summer with the head leaden- 

 black with a white spot on each eyeUd. Mantle deep plumbeous; primaries bluish-gray 

 all broadly tipped with white, and five outer ones with black sub-terminal spaces. Rest 

 of plumage white, or rose-tinted in the breeding season. Bill bright red with a dark sub- 

 terminal band. Winter plumage of the adult similar to the summer plumage, but the 

 head nearly white with only a few dark touches about the eyes and on the nape; bill and 

 feet with little trace of red. The immature young has the under parts white, the mantle 

 mixed gray, brown and blue, and the head similar to that of the winter adult; the outer 

 five primaries commonly wholly black. Length, 13.50 to 15 inches; wing, 11.25; culmen, 

 1.30. 



17. Bonaparte's Gull. Lams Philadelphia (Ord). (60) 



Synonyms: Bonaparte's Rosy Gull, Black-headed Gull. — Sterna Philadelphia, Ord, 

 1815. — Larus bonapartei. Rich., 1831, Nutt., 1834, Aud., 1839. — Chroecocephalus Phila- 

 delphia, Lawr., 1858, and many others. 



A small white gull with pearl blue mantle and head entirely black all 

 over except small white spots one above and one below each eye; the bill 

 black. This is the adult bird in spring and can hardly be confounded with 

 anything else. 



Distribution. — Whole of North America, breeding mostly north of the 

 United States. Not yet recorded from south of the United States, though 

 reported from the Bermudas. 



This is the smallest gull, in fact the only small gull which is at all common 

 in Michigan waters. So far as we know at present it is a migrant only, 

 retiring south of our boundaries during winter and passing entirely north 

 of our limits in summer. 



There seems to be much uncertainty about the nesting of this bird. 

 Several writers state that formerly it nested abundantly in all suitable 

 localities along the lakes (Covert 1894-95); but it seems certain that the 

 species does not breed now at St. Clair Flats, although it is said to have 

 done so formerly, "laying its eggs on old logs with no signs of a nest." 

 (Collins, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, V, 1880, p. 62). Dr. R. H. Wolcott writes 

 that in the summer of 1893 it was very common all summer on Lake 

 St. Clair, and many were shot by members of the Michigan Fish Commis- 

 sion in order to obtain parasites. Major Boies states that it is common 

 on the St. Mary's River in summer and breeds on or near Neebish Island. 

 He found perfectly fresh eggs in June on a small island on the west side 

 of Neebish (Bull. Mich. Orn. Club, I, 18). It has been said also to nest 

 in numbers on some of the islands in Green Bay, Wisconsin, but the record 

 is not entirely satisfactory. In Kumlien & Hollister's "Birds of Wisconsin" 

 p. 10, we read "In 1880 a few were said to breed on Chambers Island, Green 

 Bay, and we saw on some small islands in Big Bay de Noquet, Michigan, a 

 number of nests like pigeons' nests on the flat branches of low coniferous 



