LARID^E — THE GULLS AND TERNS — LARUS. 231 



Wing, 15.25-17.00 (16.10) inches ; cnlmen, 2.00-2.35 (2.24) ; depth of bill through angle, .85- 

 .95 (.88) ; tarsus, 2.45-2.75 (2.61) ; middle toe, without claw, 2.00-2 45 (2.26). [Eight adults.] 



This species, both common on and confined to our northwest Pacific coast, was 

 first described by Audubon from two specimens procured by Mr. Townsend in October, 

 1S36, near Cape Disappointment. He furnished no account of its habits. 



Mr. Henshaw mentions it as very numerous in all the bays and inlets of the Pacific 

 coast, where its numbers are greater all the year round than those of any other species. 

 Free from molestation, it has become almost semi-domesticated, and flies about the 

 wharves and over the vessels with a fearlessness of long immunity from molestation. 

 The rocky islets along the coast furnish these birds with safe breeding-grounds. At 

 Santa Cruz thousands had congregated, and were nesting in early June. On one of 

 the small adjoining islets, and the only one accessible, a few pair had nested. The 

 nests were made of a generous supply of seaweed and similar materials, well matted 

 together, the cavity being cpiite deep. It is probable that this species is also found 

 on the Pacific shores of Asia, as Mr. H. Whitely states (" Ibis," 1867) that he pro- 

 cured several specimens at Hakodadi, in Japan, in December and January. 



Dr. Cooper regards the L. occidentals as at once the most abundant and the most 

 characteristic species of the Californian coast. It is everywhere resident, and appears 

 never to leave its home, unless possibly some of these birds residing in summer far to 

 the north come down to California in the winter. Yet he noticed but little diminution 

 in their number in winter north of the Columbia, although he found them in December 

 common as far as the end of the peninsula of Lower California, which is about their 

 southern limit. They breed through all the immense range from Cape Flattery to 

 San Diego, and probably even farther in each direction. Dr. E. Palmer informs me 

 that during his visit to San Diego he was surprised to witness the tameness and 

 familiarity of this species. It wanders about the gardens, door-yards, and streets of 

 that town in great numbers, mixing with the domestic Fowls, and gathers up and 

 eats almost everything, not refusing even potato-parings. It is very tame notwith- 

 standing the rough usage it receives from boys. Dr. Palmer saw numbers perched on 

 the tops of buildings in rows intermingled with the domestic Pigeons. On the coast 

 of California its chief breeding-places are tin- Farallones, Santa Barbara Island, and 

 the Coronados, just south of the Mexican boundary line. Some of these birds, how- 

 ever, make their nests on isolated rocks and cliffs along the entire coast. On Santa 

 Barbara Island there are great numbers of eggs laid; but fewer than formerly, on 

 account of the depredations of the sealers and eggers, who rob these birds so often 

 that few are able to hatch out any young, and then only very late in the season, or 

 after the middle of June, although they begin to lay about the first of May — the 

 time varying, however, considerably with the season and the locality. At the Faral- 

 lones, in 18G3, this species began to lay about the Cth of May ; and in 18G4, May 13, 

 as Dr. Cooper was informed by Mr. Tasker, the keeper of the lighthouse. 



The nest is constructed of pliable stalks of seaweeds and other vegetation, neatly 

 matted together around a slight depression scooped in the ground. The eggs are two 

 or three in number, and are described by Dr. Cooper as having in some instances a 

 ground of pale gray, and in others an olive-brown hue, thickly blotched with dark 

 brown of two shades, or of black. They measure from 2.70 to 2.90 inches in length, 

 and from 1.80 to 2.00 in breadth. For about three weeks in May .these eggs are car- 

 ried in large quantities from the Farallones to San Francisco. After this time the 

 Gulls are no longer molested, and only the eggs of the Murre are gathered. During 

 Dr. Cooper's visit there in June he found numerous Gulls sitting, and saw the first 



