LIFE HISTORIES OF NORTH AMERICAN GULLS AND TERNS. 139 



creature. It seems to have no enemies from which it has much to 

 fear except man. Its universal habit of nesting on islands saves it 

 from the attacks of predatory animals. 



Winter. — During the winter months much of its time is spent at 

 sea following the coastwise vessels in company with other gulls in 

 search of such morsels as it may pick up, hovering in clouds about 

 our harbors where garbage is dumped, or resting in large flocks on 

 sand bars or mud flats at low tide — a season of rest and recreation, 

 with freedom to roam where it will. 



DISTRIBUTION. 



Breeding range. — Mainly in southern Canada. East to Hamilton 

 Inlet and southern Labrador (Point au Maurier). South to northern 

 New York (Adirondacks, casually), central Ontario (Muskoka 

 Lake, Georgian Bay, etc.). Lakes Huron and Michigan (formerly), 

 Wisconsin (Green Bay, formerly), northern North Dakota (Devil's 

 Lake region) , and northern Utah (Great Salt Lake) . West to central 

 southern Oregon (Klamath Lakes) British Columbia (Shuswap 

 Lake), and southern Alaska (Prince William Sound). North to cen- 

 tral Mackenzie (Great Slave Lake), eastern Keewatin (north of Fort 

 Churchill), and James Bay (Fort George). 



Breeding grounds protected in the following national reservations : 

 In Oregon, INIalheur Lake ; in North Dakota, Stump Lake. 



Winter range. — From Massachusetts (irregularly) southward 

 along the Atlantic coast to Florida and Cuba ; and along the Gulf 

 Coast to Mexico (Tehuantepec) ; west to the Pacific coasts of Mex- 

 ico and the United States, southward to Oaxaca, and northward to 

 British Columbia; in the interior north to Colorado (Barr Lakes), 

 more rarely Idaho (Fort Sherman), Montana (Lewiston), and the 

 Great Lakes (Chicago and Detroit). 



Spring migration. — Northward along Atlantic coast and in the 

 interior; northeastward from the Pacific coast. Early dates of ar- 

 rival: Connecticut, Saybrook, March 8; Newfoundland, April 19; 

 Missouri, St. Louis, March 7; Iowa, Keokuk, March 8, and Storm 

 Lake, March 15; South Dakota. Sioux Falls, March 19, and Ver- 

 milion, March 31; North Dakota, Devils Lake, average April 16, 

 earliest April 11; southern Manitoba, average April 25, earliest 

 April 21 ; Mackenzie, Pelican River, May 9. Late dates of departure : 

 Florida, Big Gasparilla Pass, May 22; North Carolina, Pea Island, 

 May 10; New Jersey, Atlantic City, June 20; Texas, Corpus Christi, 

 April 12: Louisiana, New Orleans, April 28; Missouri, Kansas City, 

 May 3 ; Wisconsin, Madison, May IT. 



Fall migration. — Eastward, southward, and westward to the 

 coasts. Early dates of arrival : Massachusetts, Chatham, Septem- 



