LARID^E — the gulls and terns — larus. 219 



free of Sea-Gulls ; but early on the 2d the air was filled with numbers of this species 

 which had arrived during the night. The Icelanders concluded from the sudden 

 appearance of the birds that shoals of codfish must have arrived on the coast, and it 

 was soon found that this conjecture was correct. And there, where but a short time 

 before an ornithological quiet had reigned, everything became enlivened by the coming 

 of these birds, which hovered over the nets without intermission, and with incessant 

 cries. Faber afterward heard that this particular species of Gull had been very 

 scarce during that winter on the northern coast, owing to the prevalence of ice. The 

 birds seen by him remained on the southern coast until the middle of May, when 

 they all departed northward to their breeding-places. 



During the winter these Gulls were Faber's weather-guide. If they swam near 

 the shore with their feathers puffed out, then on the following day storms and snow 

 were to be expected. In fine weather the birds soared high in the air. These Gulls 

 often sat by hundreds on a piece of ice, and in this way were drifted many miles. 

 Their habits differ from those of the Glaucous Gull, which moves with more energy, 

 while the leucopterus in its flight and deportment is the more graceful of the two. 

 The latter is said to hover over its prey, to be somewhat greedy, always active, and 

 never afraid to fight for its food with antagonists of equal or even superior strength. 



Mr. Wolley kept one of these Gulls alive for several weeks when in Iceland. It 

 had been caught with a fish-hook, and in a day or two became so tame as to eat in 

 his presence. 



Audubon observed but few birds of this species on the coast of Labrador, nor did 

 he think that any were breeding there at the time of his visit. Their flight he speaks 

 of as being similar to that of the Herring Gull, while the leucopterus is less shy, pro- 

 ceeds farther up rivers and creeks, and its notes are neither so loud nor so often heard 

 as those of the other species. 



Yarrell describes the egg of this Gull as being 2.50 inches in length by 1.75 in 

 breadth, and of a pale greenish-white color, with numerous spots, and speaks of two 

 shades of brown, with other spots of a bluish gray scattered generally over the 

 surface. 



Mr. MacFarlane procured several sets of the eggs of this species on the Arctic 

 coast in July, 1863, and again in July, 1865. 



Larus Kumlieni. 



KUMLIEN'S GULL. 



? Larus (Glaucus) gluiteeseens, Brucii, .1. f. O. 1S53, 101 (part ? j nee L. glattccscens, Naum. 1840). 

 ? Larus [Laroides) chalcoptcrw, Brucii, J. f. 0. 1855, 22 (part '). 



? Larus chalcopterus, Lawk, in Baud's B. N. Am. 1858, 843. — Coues, Pr. Phil. Ac. 1862, 295. 

 Larus glaucescens, Kuml. Bull. IT. S. Nat. Mils. no. 15, 1879, 98 (nee Naum. 1840). — Brewst. 



Bull. N. O. C. VIII. no. 2, April, 1S83, 125. 

 Larus Kumlieni, Brewst. Bull. N. O. C. VIII. no. 4, Oct. 1883, 216. — Park, The Auk, Vol. I. 



April, 1884, 196. 



Hab. North Atlantic coast of North America ; breeding in Cumberland Gulf (Kumlien), and 

 visiting the northern Atlantic coast of the United States in winter. Grand Menan and Bay of 

 Fundy (Brewster) ; mouth of Mohawk River, New York, Jan. 27, 1884 (Park). 



Sp. Char. Adult $ , in summer (No. 76225, U. S. Nat. Mus., Cumberland Sound, June 14, 

 1878 ; L. Kumlien) : Head, neck, lower rump, upper tail-coverts, tail, and entire lower parts pure 

 white ; mantle and wings delicate pale pearl-blue, exactly as in L. leucopterus (and in the paler 

 specimens of L. argentatus). Secondaries very broadly and very abruptly tipped with pure white. 



