54 REPORT OF A^EW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 



54 Larus delawarensis Ord. 



Ring-billed Gull. 



Adults. — Length, 18-20. Wing, 14-15.50. Back and wings, pearl gray; 

 outer primary mainly black, this color decreasing in successive feathers to the 

 sixth ; two outer ones with subterminal white patches, the others tipped with 

 white ; rest of the plumage, white ; bill, greenish-yellow crossed by a black 

 band ; head streaked with dusky in winter. 



Young in first winter sooty, edged above with white ; white below more or 

 less mottled with sooty ; wings, dull black ; tail, white, with a dusky terminal 

 band. 



First breeding plumage. — Mantle gray, otherwise like the preceding. 



There seems to be considerable difference of opinion on the abun- 

 dance of this Gull. Turnbull regarded it as abundant; Scott says it 

 is the most plentiful species after the Herring Gull, and Laurent says 

 it is equally abundant at Five Mile Beach. 



Krider calls it rare, and Dutcher rather uncommon (on Long 

 Island) ; Braislin calls it plentiful (on Long Island) in October, but 

 says it does not remain after November 17th. Personally, I have not 

 been on the beach during the migration, and have seen the species in 

 midwinter but once, at Cape May, January, 1892. 



The type specimen was obtained on the Delaware, below Philadel- 

 phia, about 1815. The only other records of capture that I find are 

 as follows: 



Delaware River; November 1st, 1890; W. L. Baily. Stone Har- 

 bor; October 3d, 1900; Dr. J. F. Prendergast.^ Atlantic City; June 

 20th, 1900; Colin. W. Stone.^ Two seen at Princeton, November, 

 1899; W. A. Babson.^ 



Mr. S. N. Rhoads saw several on the Delaware, at Camden, Febru- 

 ary 17th to 27th, 1895,^ and Mr. R. F. Miller"* reports them opposite 

 Bridesburg, Pa., January 22d and March 9th and 30th. 



Mr. W. L. Baily saw five on June 30th, 1900, at Stone Harbor, and 

 another at the same place May 21st, 1898. At Wildwood he shot one 

 in immature plumage September 7th, 1895, and saw two March 20th, 

 1904, and two at Holly Beach December 27th, 1903. 



^ Abst. Proc. D. V. O. C, IV., p. 5. 

 ^ Birds of Princeton, p. 35. 

 ^ Fowler, Cassinia, 1903, p. 46. 

 * Cassinia, 1906, p. 47. 



