28 PACIFIC COAST AVIFAUNA No. 12 



22. Larus brachyrhynchus Richardson 



Short-billed Gull 



The only record for this species is that of three immature specimens taken 

 by A. van Rossem (MS) at Catalina, February 11, 1910, two of which are now 

 in my collection. 



23. Larus heermanni Cassin 



Heermann Gull 



Blasipus belcheri {]) Cooper, Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., iv, 1870, p. 79. 



Larus heermanni (2) Baird, Brewer and Ridgway, "Water Birds N. Am., ii, 1884, p. 253. 

 (3) Blake, Auk, iv, 1887, p. 329. (.'/) Grinnell, Pasadena Acad. Sci., i, 1887, p. 24. 

 (.5) Grinnell and Daggett, Auk, xx, 1903, pp. 28, 80, 37. (6) Breninger, Auk, xxi, 

 1904, p. 219. (7) Mearns, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., lvi, 1907, p. 142. (8) Linton, Con- 

 dor, X, 1908, p. 82. (9) Linton, Condor, x, 1908, p. 12.5. (10) Willett, Condor, xii, 

 1910, p. 173. (11) Willett, Pac. Coast Avif., 7, 1912, p. 14. (/.?) Cooke, U. S. Dept. 

 Agric, Bull. 292, 1915, p. 49. 



Larus heermannii (13) Streator, Proc. Sta. Barbara Soc. Nat. Hist., i, 1887. p. 22. (1J,) 

 Wright and Snyder, Condor, xv, 1913, p. 89. 



Larus lieermani (15) Streator, Orn. & Ool., xiii, 1888, p. 54. 



These birds are to be met with off the coast of southern California the year 

 round, but the majority leave for the south about March. During July, birds of 

 the year begin reaching us. Heermann (2) said that this gull breeds on the 

 Coronados, and J. G. Cooper, that it probably did so on other islands south of 

 San Francisco. As it is now pretty well proven that the species does not nest 

 on the seaward coast north of Cape San Lucas at least, there must have been mis- 

 takes in regard to the above statements. 



The Heermann Gull as a rule is not as fond of coming close to shore as are 

 the other gulls, but prefers to stay out in the channel, where the usual method 

 of securing a meal is to haunt some patient pelican and wildly grab at any fisli 

 which the latter may capture. C. B. Linton (8) found that at Santa Cruz Isl- 

 and, during November and December, 1907, their principal food consisted of 

 shrimps which they caught in the kelp, and I have watched them catching sar- 

 dines two or three inches long. 



24. Larus Philadelphia (Ord) 



Bonaparte Gull 

 Larus Philadelphia (1) Howell and van Rossem, Condor, xni, 1911, p. 209. 



Abundant during migrations along the mainland coast, but seldom Avander- 

 ing out to the islands. During the latter part of April, 1911, A. van Rossem and 

 I (1) noted several at Santa Cruz Island. 



25. Xema sabini (J. Sabine) 



Sabine Gull 



Xema saUni (1) Willett, Pac. Coast Avif., 7, 1912, p. 15. (2) Wright, Condor, xv, 1913, 

 p. 227. (3) Grinnell, Pac. Coast Avif., 11, 1915, p. 23. (//) Cooke, U. S. Dept. Agric, 

 Bull. 292, 1915, p. 65. 



