214 Birds of Oregon and WasJiington 



the California Gull. The ring on the bill will 



enable us to distinguish it from the American 



Herring and the Glaucus-winged. 



Description. — Mantle, pale dull blue ; bill, greenish- 

 yellow, enriched with a black band near the end; the 

 band usually complete but sometimes defective ; the tip 

 and most of the cutting edges of the bill, yellow ; in high 

 condition, the angle of the mouth and a small spot be- 

 side the black, red ; feet, olivaceous, obscured with 

 dusky or bluish, and partly yellow ; webs, bright chrome. 



Winter resident. 



THE CALIFORNIA GULL. 



Description. — Nearly the same as the Ring-billed ; 

 a little larger, 22 inches; black band on bill more per- 

 fect ; the white spot on the first primary enlarged to oc- 

 cupy the whole end of feather for more than two inches. 

 This is the distinguishing mark, 



THE SHORT-BILLED GULL. 



Length, 16.5 to 18 inches. 

 The Short-billed Gull breeds in the Arctic 

 regions in summer, but in winter is found in 

 numbers along our coast. In size, it is between 

 the large Gulls, before described, and the Bona- 

 parte's Gull. The "short bill" will help to 

 identify it. 



