50 MICHIGAN BIRD LIFE. 



A A. Tail feathers all of equal length (tail square or slightly rounded). — I, II. 



I. Large; wing more than 13 inches. — J, J J. 



J. Primaries wholly white, or pale gray with white tips. — K, KK. 

 K. Wing over 16^ inches; tail over 7 inches. — Glaucous Gull. 



No. 11. 

 KK. Wing not over 16^ inches; tail less than 7 inches. ^ — Iceland 

 Gull. No. 12. 

 JJ. Primaries wholly dark, or boldly marked with black and white. 

 — L, LL. 

 L. Back ("mantle") dark slate; wing over llh inches. — Black- 

 backed Gull. No. 13. 

 LL. Back ("mantle") pale pearl-gray.— M, MM. 



M. Wing more than 16 inches. — Herring Gull. No. 14. 

 MM. Wing less than 16 inches.— Ring-billed Gull. No. 15. 



II. Small; wing not more than 13 inches. ^ — N, NN. 



N. Hind toe rudimentary or wanting. — Kittiwake. No. 10. 

 NN. Hind toe perfect but small. — O, 00. 



O. Mantle dark (deep plumbeous or slate color). — P, PP. 

 P. Wing 12 to 13 inches. — Laughing Gull. (Appendix.) 

 PP. Wing 11 to 12 inches.— Frankhn's Gull. No. 16. 

 00. Mantle light (pale pearl gray) wing 10 to 11 inches. — 

 Bonaparte's Gull. No. 17. 



10. Kittiwake. Rissa tridactyla tridactyla (Linn.). (40) 



Synonyms: Common Kittiwake. — Larus tridactylus, Linn., 1758. — Rissa tridactyla, 

 A. O. U. Check-list, 1895, and most authors. 



A rather small gull readily recognizable by the absence or extremely 

 rudimentary condition of the hind toe, which never bears a nail and is 

 usually altogether lacking. In addition the bird has brown or black feet 

 and a pale yellow or greenish yellow bill and the outer four primaries have 

 the tips entirely black. 



Distribution. — Arctic regions, south in eastern North America, in winter 

 to the Great Lakes and the middle states. 



Although the Kittiwake has been included in several of the earlier lists 

 of Michigan birds, there has always been some doubt as to its right to the 

 place. Doubtless the similarity of this bird, particularly when immature, 

 to the young of Bonaparte's Gull is responsible for many of the so-called 

 "records." The Kittiwake is essentially a coast species, and although it 

 occurs regularly along the St. Lawrence, on Lake Ontario, and even on the 

 Niagara River, it certainly is of infrequent occurrence to the west of this 

 point. We have but two records which are at all satisfactory, the first by 

 Mr. Stewart E. White, who states that it is rare on Mackinac Island, but 

 that a few accompany the large gulls in their migrations (Auk, Vol. X, 

 1893, p. 222); the other by Major A. H. Boies, who says "Occasionally seen 

 about Mud Lake (St. Mary's River) in the fall of 1893-94" (Birds of Neebish 

 Island, Bull. Mich. Orn. Club, Vol. I, p. 18). We have in the college museum 

 a specimen of the Kittiwake (No. 8293) which came to us with Major Boies' 

 collection, and which he says was surely killed on or near Neebish Island, 

 but he is unable to give any additional data. 



Stockwell says: "Frequent in winter on Lake Huron and common 

 around the Straits of Mackinac " (Forest & Stream, Vol. VIII, p. 38). This 



