LIFE HISTORIES OF NORTH AMERICAN GULLS AND TERNS. 75 



indicated whitish suhapical spot on the first primary, but similar spots may 

 be found in other species of gulls, and it seems to be a variable character of 

 little importance. These specimens are perhaps not in full juvenal plumage, 

 for they are probably partly in first winter dress ; and two of them, just 

 beginning the prenuptial molt, having acquired a few gray nuptial feathers 

 of the mantle ; but it must be remembered that the differences between juvenal 

 and first-winter plumages of the gulls are inappreciable. It is probable that 

 the brown shade is due to fading and that earlier in the season these birds 

 were grayer. 



First ivinter plumayc. — Prom what has just been said it has been made 

 evident that this plumage differs in practically no respect from the juvenal. 

 The post-juvenal molt is variable in the time of its occurrence, just as it is 

 in all the gulls, and overlaps the prenuptial so as to be in many cases confused 

 with it. 



First nuptial plumage. — This plumage doubtless closely resembles the juvenal 

 or the first winter, but birds may be expected to become whiter about the head 

 and \vith a few gray feathers on the back. 



Second winter plumage. — Like leucopterus, this species attains a considerable 

 amount of adult plumage at this moult. The gray mantle, clouded white head 

 and body, and white tail indicate a close approximation to the adult plumage; 

 but the primaries and other feathers of the wings are usually drab and not very 

 much paler than in first winter birds. Dark gray or mottled feathers may also 

 be found on the wings or tail or on the body posteriorly. The bills are yellow, 

 but often clouded and with the red spot lacking. The variation is considerable, 

 just as in glaucus or Icucopterus or glaucescens, but the darkness of flight feath- 

 ers or tail, or both combined, is a character useful in separating kumlieni 

 from the two species last mentioned. The tail feathers, like those of glauces- 

 cens, while largely white, may show gray patches, chiefly on the inner webs. 



Second nuptial plumage. — The body plumage is renewed more or less at the 

 second prenuptial moult, and I find evidence of this in several specimens. 



Third ivinter plumage. — Just as in the other gulls, this species after the sec- 

 ond post-nuptial moult assumes (except perhaps in a very few cases) the adult 

 plumage. 



Behavior. — It is fair to assume that the habits of Kumlien's gull 

 probably do not differ materially from those of the other large gulls, 

 for they are all very much alike in general behavior with the possible 

 exception of the tyrannous great black-backed gull. 



Winter. — Kumlien's gull wanders southward late in the fall and 

 winter, probably regularly, though sparingly, as far south as south- 

 ern New England and New York, where it is associated with herring 

 gulls and other species, acting as savengers about our harbors. 



DISTRIBUTION. 



Breeding range. — Known to breed only in Cumberland Sound. 

 Specimens taken in Eilesmxre Land prove to be thayeri. 



Winter range. — So far as known, the Gulf of St. Lawrence (Prince 

 Edward Island) and Bay of Fundy (Grand Manan) ; southward 

 rarely to Massachusetts (Plymouth and Boston), and New York 

 (Long Island and Mohawk Piver). 



