THE GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL. 713 
WHILE one of the most abundant species thruout the islands and coasts 
of Alaska, these birds are somewhat erratic in their winter dispersion, altho 
keeping in the main as far north as possible. Specimens are occasionally sighted 
on the Straits of Juan de Fuca, where they join the crowd of gulls accompany- 
ing outgoing steamers; and there are several records of their occurrence at 
Bellingham. In December and January of 1898-99, Mr. A. W. Anthony saw 
them “‘by the dozens” in the harbor and about the garbage dump of Seattle, 
and supposed that they were characteristic species, but we have never seen 
them so far south. 
Of their occurrence in Alaska Mr. E. W. Nelson says: ‘They pursue their 
prey in the same graceful manner as the terns, by hovering over the water and 
plunging down head-foremost. It is an extremely interesting sight to watch a 
large flock passing over calm water in this manner. They are limited strictly 
to tide-water and rarely ascend even the Yukon delta over a few miles. 
“Thruout its range this species has considerable curiosity and comes 
circling about any strange intruder to its haunts. In the bay at Saint Michaels 
they were frequently seen following a school of white whales, evidently to 
secure such fragments of fish or other food as the whales dropped in the water. 
It is curious to note how well the birds timed the whales and anticipated their 
appearance as the latter came up to blow.” 
No. 290. 
GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL. 
A. O. U. No. 44. Larus glaucescens Naum. 
Synonyms.—Common Guii. HaArsor Guin. BLuE Guin. BuRGOMASTER 
(name properly restricted to 1. glaucus). 
Description.—Adult in summer: Mantle pearl-gray (of about the same 
shade as that of L. argentatus); wing-tip chiefly gray, of about the color of 
back—in particular: Ist primary nearly uniform pearl-gray with a large sub- 
terminal spot of white on both webs, separated by gray band from white tip, 
and, 3rd, and 4th primaries ashy gray terminally, changing thru white (nar- 
rowly) to pearl-gray of basal portion, tipped with white; 5th and 6th as in 
preceding, but ashy gray subterminal portion narrower, and contiguous white 
broader; remaining primaries and_secondaries color of back with broad white 
tips. Remaining plumage pure white; bill yellow, a rounded spot of bright 
vermilion at angle of lower mandible, this usually shadowed above by a dusky 
spot (this dusky spot is the last persistent trace of adolescence; it is sometimes 
larger than the red spot in specimens otherwise perfectly adult, and only the 
oldest birds are entirely without it); feet dull flesh-pink, or pale purplish rosy; 
irides brown, of varying shade. Adult im winter: Head, neck, and breast, but 
not throat, obscurely (or, rarely, heavily) clouded with light grayish dusky. . 
