108 CRUISE OF STEAMER CORWIN IN THE ARCTIC OCEAN. 



Sea islands or the Siberian shore dnrinj,' the cruise of the Corwin. nor was it seen north of Bering 

 Strait, although speoinieus were brougiit me from the Kotzebue Sound region during my residence 

 at Saint Michael's. It is very numerous along the course of the Yukon and other rivers in the 

 interior of Alaska, and breeds throughout the range given. 



LARUS PHILADELPHIA (Ord.) Gray. 



(155.) Bonaparte's Gull. 



This is a very rare bird along tlie Alaskan coast of Bering Sea, being found tiiere during the 

 migrations merely as a straggler from its breeding grounds in the interioi-. Then; is no record of 

 either this or the preceding species from any of tiic Bering Wea islands, but the lattc^r is far less 

 numerous and widely spread on the shores of this sea than the former. I found Bonaparte's Gull 

 numerous only in one instance in the vicinity of Saint Michael's. This was towai'ds the end of 

 September, 1880, when for a few days they were abundant along the canal which sej)arates Saint 

 Michael's Island from the mainland. There is no record of its presence along the shore of the 

 Arctic, although it may possibly occur at the head of Kotzebue Sound. 



RHODOSTETHIA ROSEA (Macgill.) Bruch. 



(156.) Rosse's Gull. 



During my residence at Saint Michael's I secured a single specimen of this bird. It was a 

 young of the year, and although it was taken the first of October, yet it still retained, nearly 

 ct)mplete, its imperfect mottled plumage. This was the lirst specimen of this rare and beautiful 

 bird taken in the region about Bering Strait. Since this capture, however, we have still further 

 knowledge of this bird's distribution. Nordenskiold obtained a beautiful adult si)ecimen which 

 was shot from the vessel while frozen in on the Siberian shore near Bering Strait on July 1, 1879; 

 and the naturalist of the Jeannette, Mr. Newcomb, writes in a recently ])ublished letter to the 

 New York Herald that " In the middle of October, 1879, a pair of these birds came along the lead 

 where I was .sitting, and when within range I fired, tumbling one down into the water; the other 

 turned and I got it. They proved to be Kosse's Gulls (lihodostethia rosea), an exceedingly rare 

 species, very buoyant and graceful on the wing; beautiful pearly-blue on the back, vermilion feet 

 and legs, and lovely tea-rose on the breast and uuderpart, the rosy tint being scarcely a color ; 

 then blending in exquisite harmony with the pearly-blue of the up])er parts. They were in fall 

 feather. I afterwards got three more in adult and immature plumage." 



While the Jeannette party were on their way toward the Siberian coast, after the loss of their 

 vessel, a luimber of these Gulls were seen, but were not obtained. Kiglit specimens of this 

 beautiful bird were secured by Mr. Newcomb during the drift of the Jeannette, but during the 

 retreat of this party toward the coast all but three specimens in the most interesting states of 

 plumage were abandoned, with many otliei- results of their long I'aptivity in the ice. These three 

 .specimens are now preserved in the Smithsonian collec^tion, and with the one obtained by me at 

 Saint Michael's form a series of four birds the only ones at i)resent in any American collection, 

 and representing each a dilierent state of jilumage. The richness of the rosy tint on the breast 

 is incomparable with that on any other gull wliicli I have ever seen. One of the specimens 

 brought by Mr. Newcomb still retains the color, and is of an extremely rich peach-blossom i)ink. 

 much richer even in this faded condition than is usual in life u|)on gulls which are ornamented 

 with this rosy sufl'usion during the breeding season. It is to be hoped that .some of tlie sexcral 

 American expeditions now in the north may secure other specimens of this interesting and lovely 

 Gull, which is the most beautiful of its kind, and add still more to its history. And now that the 

 range of the bird is known to extend around the entire circumpolar regions, tlie next point to 

 ascertain will be its breeding ground, and peculiar habits during the nesting season. Jiotes upon 

 its habits are particularly desirable, as thus far the naturalists who have obtained specimens ot 

 this variety have ouly recorded the facts of their cai)ture. 



