I 



BIRDS OF BERMUDA. 265 



they cruise about, at no great height, along the shores or among the 

 islands. During the breeding season the parent birds "off duty" are 

 to be seen in the neighborhood of their nesting places all the morning 

 till about noon, -when the greater part disappear in a rather mysterious 

 manner. I came to the conclusion that they proceed to a considerable 

 distance out to sea, returning at dusk, and this opinion was much 

 strengthened by seeing two old birds sitting on the water one after- 

 noon, at least 100 miles from the Bermuda shores. This was during a 

 voyage from Bermuda to Kew York, on the 7th August, 1874, when the 

 second " young hopeful " had probably left, or was about to leave, the 

 nest, and therefore does not prove much ; but it shows that these strong- 

 winged birds, who would probably do their 100 miles in three hours, or 

 even less, do travel to such distances from land long before they have 

 thought of quitting their breeding haunts. In Castle Harbor, where 

 there are a great number of Tropic-birds continually on the wing, and 

 where they are left comparatively undisturbed during the daytime, this 

 disappearance is, or appears to be, on a somewhat smaller scale. 



Order LONGIPENNES. 



Family LARID^. 

 Sub-family LARIN^. 

 Genus Laeus, Linn. 

 166. Larus marinus, Linn. Great Black-backed Gull. 



Larus marinus, Linn., Gm., Lath., Temm., Boie, Steph., Flem., Bp., Nutt^ 

 Brelim., Jen., Eyt., And., Naum., Keys. & Blaa., Sclil., Gray, Lawr., Couee., 

 Verr., and of other authors. 



Dominicanus marinus, Bruch, Bp. 



Larus niger, Briss. 



Larus ncevius, Linn., Gm., Lath. 



Larus albus, Miill. 



Larus viaculatus, Bodd. 



Larus maximus, Leach, Brehm. 



Length, 30; wing, 18.50; bill, 2.50; tarsus, 3. 



Mah. — American and European coasts of the Atlantic ; south in win- 

 ter to Long Island, Great Lakes, and Mississippi (Coues). 



Mr. Hurdis mentions an immature example of this Gull, which was 

 captured alive in the Great Sound in December, 1851, and Mr. Bartram 

 has a fine specimen, also in immature plumage, shot by himself near 

 Stocks Point, on the 2.7th December, 1862. 



