LARID.E — THE GULLS AND TERNS — LARUS. 



259 



of the quills becoming nearly or quite white where joining the black, and the shaft of the black 

 portion also black ; remaining quills light grayish blue, broadly, but not abruptly, tipped with 

 white, the sixth sometimes marked with a subterminal black spot or bar. Bill deep red with a 

 more or less distinct darker subterminal band; eyelids red; feet deep red. Adult in winter: 

 Similar, but head and neck white, the occiput, with orbital and auricular regions, grayish dusky. 

 Bill and feet brownish, the former tipped with orange-reddish. Young, first plumage: Top and 

 sides of the head (except forehead ami lores), back, and scapulars grayish brown, the longer scapu- 

 lars bordered terminally with pale grayish buff ; wing-coverts bluish gray, tinged with grayish 



^ \^ \ 



Not quite adult (= " L. cncuUittus"), summer plumage. 



brown ; secondaries dusky, edged with pale grayish blue, and broadly tipped with white ; prima- 

 ries dusky, the inner more plumbeous, all rather broadly tipped with white. ( Vntral portion of the 

 rump uniform light bluish gray ; lateral and posterior portions of the rump, upper tail-coverts, 

 entire lower parts, forehead, lores, and eyelids white. Bill brownish, dusky terminally ; feet brown 

 (in skin). 



Total length, about 14.00 inches; extent, 35.00 : wing, 11.25 ; culmen, 1.30; depth of bill 

 through nostrils, .35 ; tarsus, 1.60 ; middle toe, with .law, 1.60. 



We still know comparatively little of the specific habits of Franklin's Rosy Gull ; 

 nor can we give with any exactness its geographical distribution. It appears to be 

 common throughout the Fur Countries during the summer from about the 50th to 

 the 65th parallel, and perhaps farther north. It is a great wanderer in its migrations, 

 and probably passes the winter in Central and South America. Unlike L. atricilla, 

 it appears to confine itself in the summer to fresh water, and is not to be found on 

 the margin of the ocean, excepting in its migrations. It was first described by Sir 

 John Richardson from a specimen obtained in June, 1827, on the Saskatchewan. It 

 was found to be a very common species in the interior of the Fur Countries, where 

 it frerptents the shores of the larger lakes. It was almost exclusively found in flocks, 

 and was observed to be a very noisy bird. It breeds chiefly in marshy places. 



Captain Blakiston met with this species in the region of the Saskatchewan, where 

 he found it rather abundant. It was breeding on the lakes of the Buffalo Plains in 

 the summer. 



In a letter dated May 21, 1860, Dr. J. G. Cooper wrote me that he found this Gull 

 not uncommon in the neighborhood of Sioux City ; and though he had no positive 

 evidence to that effect, he had no doubt that it was breeding in that region. 



Dr. Giraud is authority for the occurrence of this species in immature plumage on 

 Long Island ; but as no other observer has made mention of its presence on the Atlan- 

 tic coast, this is perhaps an error. He speaks of it as a very handsome and strongly 



