738 THE SHORT-BILLED GULL. 



innocence wliicli the milliner's art preijared. was still Um eloquent of niercen- 

 ar\- betrayal and slaughter to let my lady's face speak its own message of 

 innocence and beauty. It will take long years yet for the devastated \-ales and 

 island fastnesses to recover, if they can. from the thoughtless requisition of 

 a woman's fancy. 



No. 296. 



SHORT-BILLED GULL. 



A. O. I'. No. 55. Larus brachyrh> nchiis Rich. 



Synonym. — American Mi;w Guu.. 



Description. — .Idiilts in sitiniiu-r: Mantle ])earl gray; remaining plumage, 

 except (|uilN, white: primaries chiefly black terminally in decreasing ratio from the 

 1st tci the 7th, all but the 1st white-tipped; ist with large subtermiiial blotch 

 of white some 2. go long, longer on outer web, ]iierced Init not divided by black of 

 shaft ; 2nd with subterminal area of white plainly separated into spots by black of 

 shaft, and with a wedge of gray on inner web; 3rd without corres]5onding spot 

 but with large white space on inner web between the subterminal black and the 

 basal gray; bill greenish yellow, brightening (more yellow) on tip; feet and legs 

 dull bluish green, webs yellow. In highest nuptial plumage the eyelids, edges of 

 gape, and the tomia become bright orange-yellow ; the bill hoary glaucescent on 

 basal portion ; the feet a brighter bluish green, the webs bright yellow : and a 

 faint rosy flush sometimes appears on feathers of underparts. Adults in z^'intcr: 

 Duller; the head and neck all around, with chest, more or less mottled with dusky. 

 Voiiiui of the year: Head and neck, rump, and under])arts, grayish brown, 

 mottled with dusky ; back pearl-gray with duller edgings ; wing-coverts and inner 

 secondaries duskv with lighter edgings; primaries nearly uniform brownish black 

 thruout ; tail pale gray, mottled with dusky basally, brownish black distally, nar- 

 rowly tipped with whitish ; Ijill flesh-colored basally, blackening terminally ; feet 

 and legs light yellow. .lpproachi)i(i niattirify: Primaries still brownish black- 

 without white tips, but with indications of subterminal white spots; tail with 

 blackish subterminal band. Length of adult; 16.50-18.00 (419.1-457.2) ; wing 

 14.00 (355.6); bill 1.45 (36.8); depth of bill at angle .45 (11.4); tarsus 1.95 



(A9-5)- 



Recognition Marks. — Crow size; small weak bill ; feet greenish yellow. Re- 

 quires careful discrimination from possible Mew (lull — L. caniis (H) q. v. 



Nesting. — Does not breed in Washington. Nest: on ground near marsh, of 

 moss, etc. Eggs: 2 or 3, colored as in other s[)ecies. .\v. size, 2.28 x 1.58 (57.9 x 

 40.1). 



General Range. — Breeding in .\rctic and subarctic .\merica, chiefly in the 

 interii.r; wintering from southern .\laska to southern California. 



Range in Washington. — .Abundant migrant in late fall and early spring on 

 Puget Sound ; of variable abundance in winter. 



