THE BONAPARTE GULL. 743 



nious scoop net full of fish, its parasites are sure to be ready and fearlessly 

 seize the fish from its very jaws, the stupid bird never resenting the insult, or 

 appearing to take the least notice of the little pilferer which it could easily rid 

 itself of by one blow, or even swallow alive. 



No. 298. 

 BONAPARTE'S GULL. 



A. O. L". No. 60. Larus Philadelphia (Ord.). 



Synonym. — Se.\ Pigeox. 



Description. — Adult in smiuner: Head including throat blackish slate, 

 mantle pearl-gray : primaries extensively white, the first six with black terminal 

 portions, the third to sixth, in addition, narrowly tipped with white; the first 

 quill with outer web and tip black, the second and third altogether white with 

 black tips, the fourth white on outer web, pearl-gray on inner web, with touch 

 of white at extremity of terminal black, effecting the transition to the nearly uni- 

 form basal pearl-gray of inner jirimaries : remaining plumage pure white, the 

 underparts more or less flushed with pale rosy; bill jet black; feet and legs rich 

 orange-red ; feathering of eyelids white posteriorly, the skin carmine. .Idiilt in 

 zvinter: Without the black hood ; a dab of slate behind the ear and another before 

 the eye, with a plumbeous suft'usion of occiput instead; rosy tint of underparts 

 wanting; bill lighter basally, and feet pale flesh-color. Ininiatiirc: Like adult 

 in winter, but plumbeous suft'usion of hind-head more extensive and tinged with 

 brownish; the pearl-gray of mantle less distinct and varied by brownish gray; 

 lesser wing-coverts and inner tertials mostly brownish gray ; primaries mostly 

 blackish on exposed outer webs, where the adult is white, and white on outer 

 webs of inner primaries, where adult is pearl-gray ; the inner primaries narrowly 

 tipped with white as before ; tail crossed terminally, or nearly so. with a broad 

 band of blackish or brownish dusky ; bill still lighter, but blackish toward tip. 

 Length 12.00-14.00 ('304.8-355.6); av. of six specimens: wing 10.30 (261.6); 

 tail 3.60 (91.4); bill 1. 12 128.51; tarsus 1.41 (35.8). 



Recognition Marks. — Little Hawk size ; smallest of the local Gulls ; size of 

 Common Tern (Sterna hirundo I : head black, in breeding plumage; bill black or 

 mostly black ; mantle gull-blue ; primaries mostly white and gull-blue, tipped with 

 black, and very narrowly with white. To be told at a glance from the Terns by 

 its shorter, squarish tail, and in breeding plumage, b}- head being Ijlackish all 

 around. 



Nesting. — Does not breed in Washington. Xcst: of sticks lined with grass, 

 etc., placed four to twenty feet high in bushes, trees, or on stumps. Eggs: 3, 

 rarely 4, greenish olive or brown, with smallish spots or blotches of umber and 

 lilac, chiefly about larger end. Av. size, 1.95x1.35 (49.5x34.3). 



General Range. — Whole of North America, breeding mostly north of the 

 L'nited States. Not yet recorded from south of the L^nited States, tho reported 

 from the Bermudas. 



