SUPPLEMENT TO BIRDS OF ESSEX COUNTY 



35 



female was taken by Mr. C. R. Lamb^ at Rockport on January 31, 1913. I have 

 seen the bird only once at Ipswich Beach, — on January 19, 191 3, when I was in 

 company with Mr. J. H. Baker. The October 27 record is for the year 1909 when 

 one was seen at Plum Island by Mr. J. L. Peters. The March 24 record is for 

 1912, a bird seen by Mr. S. Prescott Fay and myself from a fishing-steamer, off 

 Gloucester. The bird came at times within fifty yards of us to pick up the fish 

 entrails thrown from the steamer. It was in immature plumage with a white and 

 mottled back, but was easily distinguished from a Glaucous Gull in the same flock 

 of Herring Gulls by the gray spots on the tips of its wings. On January 26, 

 1919, I had an excellent opportunity to study an adult Kumlien's Gull at fairly 

 close range at King's Beach, Swampscott. Most of the Kumlien's Gulls recorded 

 here have been in the adult plumage. 



In all I have the records of twenty different observations of Kumlien's Gull 

 in Essex County. Several of these were doubtless of the same bird. 



The field-marks of this species are discussed under Glaucous Gull. 



19 [47] Larus marinus Linn. 



Great Black-backed Gull ; " Saddle-back." 



Common winter visitor (summer). July 17 to May 31 (June and July). 



This magnificent bird, so vocal on its breeding-grounds in the North, is rarely 

 heard during its sojourn in Essex County. The notes uttered here are generally 

 limited to a hoarse cow cow cow and a harsh ha ha ha. Both have a very human 

 quality, which may account for the fact that a bird uttering these notes while fly- 

 ing over a farm-house at Ipswich in February, 1916, brought the dogs out barking 

 furiously. In walking over the bogs and hills of Labrador I have often been 

 startled by the human quality of the many varied calls and low conversational 

 notes of this bird on its breeding-ground. Besides the loud challenge calls, which 

 may be set down as the nuptial song, the Great Black-backed Gull has numerous 

 calls and cries, some of which I have syllabized as follows : besides the above men- 

 tioned cozv cozv and ha ha which are uttered in various tones of affection, scold- 

 ing, sobbing, threatening, cursing and derision, there are high-pitched ki kis, croak- 

 ing cahrr cahrrs, pig-like squeals and fox-like barks, and words like car-cas-sonne, 

 axi-par-a-vant, uta-iua, and cries of help, help. 



It is true they are freebooters and highwaymen, destroy other birds' eggs 

 and their downy callow young, but their own home life is irreproachable. I shall 



1 Lamb, C. R. Auk, vol. 35, p. 233, 1918. 



