GULLS 47 



well constructed. The eggs are two or three in number, white 

 to olive gray and drab in color, spotted with reddish brown, 

 lilac and black. A selected one measures 2.85 x 2.00. The 

 food consists of fish, offal and in the proper season the eggs 

 and young of other seafowl. They utter a peculiar laughing 

 "ha-ha-ha" which seems to be an alarm note, as when trying 

 to steal unnoticed upon a flock of Ducks or other seafowl in 

 winter I have sometimes been discovered by one of these sharp- 

 eyed Gulls and immediately it would utter this demoniac 

 chuckle at which the Ducks often seemed to discover me and 

 take flight. This Gull also has a peculiar drawn out cry of 

 "kiouw-kiouw-kiouw". 



YK^ 



51. Lariis arg-entatiis Brunn. Herring Gull. 



Plumage in summer adults : mantle and wings pearl gray ; first six prim- 

 aries generally white-tipped, followed by black markings or bands, and on 

 outer two or three primaries this black again interrupted by white, and again 

 by black ; other parts white. Plumage in winter adults : differs from the 

 summer plumage in that the head and neck are dusky suifused or streaked. 

 Immature plumage : a general brownish gray, head buffy streaked ; prim- 

 aries brownish black; under parts brownish gray. Wing 15.50 to 18.00; 

 culmen 2.25 ; tarsus 2.50. 



Geog. Dist. — Old World, Cumberland Sound, North America in general, 

 south in winter to the Azores, Cuba and Lower California ; breeding from 

 Maine, northern New York, the Great Lakes and Minnesota northward. 



County Records. — Androscoggin; fairly common migrant, (Johnson). 

 Aroostook; common on lakes and breeds, (Batchelder, B. N. 0. C. 7, p. 152). 

 Cumberland; common spring visitor near Bridgton, (Mead); resident 

 throughout the year, (Brown, C. B. P. p. 34). Franklin ; rare, accidental, 

 (Swain). Hancock; locally common resident along the coast, breeds in 

 large colonies on certain of the outer islands, (Knight). Kennebec; rare, 

 (Gardiner Branch). Knox; resident, (Rackliff). Lincoln ; (Norton). Oxford; 

 found it breeding on the Richardson Lakes in the '80's, (Mead). Penobscot; 

 seen as far up the river as Orono in spring and fall and often a few remain 

 about the Bangor dam all winter, (Knight). Piscataquis; breeds on the 

 lakes, (Homer). Sagadahoc ; few in summer, common in winter, (Spinney). 

 Somerset; frequent visitor spring to fall, (Morrell); observed about Rowe 

 Pond in early July 1906 so they evidently breed not far away, (Knight). 

 Waldo; regular visitor along the coast throughout the year, (Knight). 

 Washington ; common resident, (Boardman). York ; (Butters). 



