LONG-WINGED SWIMMERS 



[60.1] Little Gull. Larus minutus. 



This Gull is the smallest of the family; it is 

 a European bird, and has accidentally strayed to 

 our shores but a few times. Its plumage is sim- 

 ilar to that of the Bonaparte Gull but the bill Is 

 red. It breeds in the marshes around the Baltic- 

 Sea, placing its nest of dead vegetation on the 

 highest parts of the marsh. They lay three eggs 

 Of a greenish gray color marked with dark brown 

 ami lilac. Size 1.7.". \ L.25. 



61. Ross Gull. Rhodostethia rosea. 

 Range. -The Arctic regions, south in winter 



to Alaska, Greenland, northern Europe and Asia. 

 This beautiful bird is the most rare of all the 

 Gulls, being very difficult to obtain because of 

 its extreme northerly distribution. It is in form 

 and plumage like Bonaparte Gull, with the excep- 

 tions that the head is white, there being a nar- 

 row black collar around the neck, the tail is 

 wedge shaped, and the whole under parts from 

 the chin to the tail are rosy in the breeding plum- 

 age. The nests and eggs remain still undiscover- 

 ed, although Nansen, in August 1896, found a 

 supposed breeding ground in Franz Josef Land, 

 because of the numbers of the birds, hut found 

 no nests. 



62. Sabine's Gull. Xona sabinii. 

 Range. Arctic regions, breeding from Alaska 



and Greenland and northward, and wintering Ros< Gull 



south to New England. 



A handsome bird, having the slaty hood 

 bordered behind with a black ring, the primar- 

 ies black, white tipped, and the tail slightly 

 forked. They breed abundantly on the marshes 

 of northern Alaska ami Greenland, nesting the 

 same as others of the species. The two or 

 there eggs are laid in June. They are greenish 

 brown in color ami are marked with dark 

 brown. Size 1 .7.". \ 1 .:'.".. Data. Hudson Bay. 

 AugU i 1 . 1 s '-' I. I !gg laid on t he mound in 

 tin- moss; no nesl excepl the hollow in the 



< '. reeti ish brown 



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