68o GLAUCOUS GULL. 



the Old and the New Worlds, but it abandons the highest latitudes 

 during the winter time. Then its migrations extend as far south as 

 the Straits of Gibraltar, the Mediterranean and Black Seas, and the 

 northern part of the Caspian ; Japan and California in the Pacific ; 

 the great lakes of America and the Mississippi valley, as well as the 

 east coast to Florida and Texas. Mr. Ridgway has distinguished 

 the Glaucous Gull of Alaska by the name of L. harroviaiuis, but I 

 can see nothing exceptional in specimens from the North Pacific, 

 the Arctic regions of America, or Greenland. The Pacific to the 

 north of lat. 40° is inhabited by a slightly smaller species, L. glau- 

 cescens, which has its primaries chequered with pale grey, but not 

 with black as in the Herring-Gull. A larger and very rare species, 

 known from Alaska and Vancouver Island, has been named 

 Z. uel^oni by Mr. Henshaw ; while on the east side of Bafifin Bay, 

 migrating to New Yoik State in winter, there is a much smaller 

 bird, L. kumlic/u', with rather more definition in its wing-pattern. 



The nest of the Glaucous Gull is made on projecting ledges of 

 lofty cliffs or on low shores and sand-banks, according to circum- 

 stances ; the eggs, usually laid in June, are stone-colour, spotted 

 with ash-grey and brown : measurements 2 '9 by 2 in. From its 

 overbearing nature the Glaucous Gull has long been known as 'the 

 Burgomaster ' among whalers and sealers. It is omnivorous as 

 regards diet ; in South Greenland, during August and September, 

 the berries of Evipetruni nigrtan are largely consumed by the 

 immature birds ; while such is its rapacity that Col. Feilden found 

 two reindeer which he had shot one day on Spitsbergen reduced 

 to hide and skeletons by the next morning. 



The adult male in summer has the head, tail and under-parts 

 white ; mantle and wings pale pearl-grey, with white tips to the 

 scapulars, secondaries, and outermost webs of the quills, the 

 primaries reaching but little beyond the tail ; bill yellow, orange at 

 the angle ; ring round the eye vermilion, iris yellow ; legs and feet 

 bright pink. In winter the head and neck are streaked with ash- 

 grey. Length 29 in., wing i8-i8'5 in. Females are often much 

 smaller. The young bird is mottled with ash-brown on a creamy 

 ground, becoming lighter at each moult, until, just before assuming 

 the pearl-grey mantle, it becomes white for a short time. In this 

 state it was supposed to be a distinct species, L. hiifchiusi of 

 Richardson ; but its identity is now fully established, and I have 

 watched every change of plumage in the birds brought up in the 

 Zoological Society's Gardens. In the immature bird the bill is 

 brown, the iris brown, and the legs and feet are livid flesh-colour. 



