98 NATURAL HISTORY OF ARCTIC AMERICA. 



think it a sort of general term as they nso it, — soinetliing like "gull." 

 This species is far less common in CumberlaiMl than (jlaucus. On the 

 Greenland coast it is the most common gull, except Rissa tridactyla. 

 My opportunities for studying leucoptcrus were not very extensive, and 

 my conclusions may be too hasty; but still it is worth while for others 

 that may get better opportunities, to observe if tin' following ])oints 

 of diflerence are constant : 



First. Lcucoptcrus^ 24 inches or less; glaucu,s, 27 to ;>2 inches. 



Second. Tarsus and toes of leiicopterua in liill\ adiili birds often onuujc- 

 red, and not flesh-colored as in (jlaucus. 



Third. Ring around the eye in Jcucoptcrus flesh-colored; in glaucns, 

 letldish i)urple. 



Fourth. Young of glaucus in first plumage as light as the bird of the 

 second year ; the young of leucopterus nearly as dark as the young of 

 (jlauccsccns. The bill is also weaker and thinner than in glaucus. 



Governor Fencker says he has often had l)irds that answered iiearl;^ 

 to the description oi L. hutchinsii, but with chrouK ycUow Itill, with Ver- 

 million spot, and not flesh-colored, with dusky tip: these birds were 

 always found to measure less, however, than the average glaucus, wliich 

 is directly the opposite of my experience with hutchinsii. There may be 

 a gradation between the two species as far as regards size ; but the 

 above cited points of difference have proved good so far as my ^)bser- 

 vations have gone. They mix indiscriminately with glaucus at al' 

 times, but are always readily distinguishable by their smaller size. 

 Eggs were procured at Claushavn, Greenland, which are indistinguisha- 

 ble from those of glaucus except in size. A fine speeinuii, a full-fledged 

 young, was secured on the Hunde Islands, Disko Day, tliat liiid four 

 feet, i\\o second pair growing out of the knee-joint in front. 



65. Larus glaucescens, Liclit. 



"No\vy;i1i,'' Cuinhcrland Kskinm. 



So fiir as I am aware this is tlie first instance on record of this bird 

 being taken on the Atlantic coast. Tliey are quite common in the 

 n]»i>er Cumberland waters, wliere they breed. Arrived with the open- 

 ing of the water and soon began nesting. The nest Avas placed on the 

 shelving rocks on high clifls. Two pairs nested very near our harbor; 

 bnt the ravens tore the nest down and destroyed the eggs. Only a sin- 

 gle well-identified ogg was secured. This gull is unknown to Governor 

 Fencker on the Greenland coast. They remained about the harbor 

 a great deal, and were often observed making away with such scraps as 



