74 



GULLS. 



The coast-inhabiting individuals of this species resemble the Her- 

 ring Gull in habits, and are not easily identifiable from that species 

 unless the two be seen together, when the smaller size of the Ring-bill 

 is noticeable. 



In the interior, where the species is locally common, it feeds on 

 insects, which it catches both on the ground and in the air. 



The Mew Gull {56. Larus canus) — a European species — has been found 

 once in Labrador. 



58* Liarus a>tricilla; Linn. Laughing Gull ; Black-headed Gull. 

 (See Fig-. 6, h.) Ad. in summer. — Back and wings dark pearl-gray ; primaries 

 black, the inner ones with small white tips (Fig. 60, c) ; whole head and throat 

 deep slate-color ; rest of the plumage, including the nape, pure white, the 

 breast sometimes suffused by a delicate peach-blossom tint; bill dark red- 

 dish, brighter at the tip. Ad. in winter. — Resembles the above, but has the 

 head and throat white, the crown and sides of the head and sometimes the 

 nape spotted or streaked with grayish. /;;*.— Upper parts light ashy fuscous, 

 the feathers margined with whitish ; primaries black ; forehead and under 

 parts white, sometimes washed in places with dusky ; tail dark pearl-gray, 

 broadly tipped with black. L., 16-50 ; W., 12-50 ; T., 4-90 ; B., 1-65. 



Eange.—BYQdds from Texas and Florida to Maine; rare in the interior; 

 winters from South Carolina to northern South America. 



Washington, irregular in fall. Long Island, rare S. E., irregular T. V., 

 Apl. to Sept. 



Nest., of grasses, seaweed, etc., on the ground in grassy marshes. Eggs., 

 three to five, varying from grayish olive-brown to greenish gray, spotted, 

 blotched, and scrawled with chocolate, 2-15 x 1-55. 



" From the hoarse clatter of the Terns one could distinguish its 

 long-drawn, clear note on a high key, sounding not unlike the more 

 excited call-note of the Domestic Goose ; and every now and then it 

 would give its prolonged, weird laughter, which has given rise to its 

 common name. To one who has heard it, it might be imitated by the 

 syllables hah-ha-ha-ha-ha, hah-hah-hah, all of which are uttered on a 

 high, clear tone, the last three or four syllables, and especially the last 

 one, being drawn out with peculiar and prolonged effect, the whole 

 sounding like the odd and excited laughter of an Indian squaw, and 

 giving marked propriety to the name of the bird " (Langille). 



59. Larus franklini Sw. and Bich,. Franklin's Gull. Ad. in sum- 

 mer.— \Yh.ole head and throat sooty black, nape, sides of the neck, and under 

 parts, except throat, white, generally suffused (in fresh specimens) with an 

 exquisite peach-blossom tint ; tail white ; back and wings pearl-gray ; first 

 primary white, the outer web black, except at the tip, the shaft part of the 

 inner web grayish on the basal half (Fig. 60, d) ; second primary white, with 

 a black mark on the inner web and a black stripe on the outer web near the 

 tip, the rest of the outer web and shaft part of the inner web pearl-gray ; third 



