250 Natur^-xL History Bulletin. 



black in color, and the amount of blood seems excessive. The 

 same may be said of seals. That is, the most thoroughly- 

 aquatic birds and mammals are characterized by exceptionally 

 dark flesh, and an excess of blood. There is doubtless, a 

 physiological reason for this, although I am unable to say 

 what it is. Breeds within the Arctic Circle. (MacFarlane.) 

 One specimen secured, 5 ad. 



Order LONGPIPENNES. Long-w^inged Swimmers. 



Family larid^e. Gulls and Terns. 



Larus argentatus smithsonianus Coues. American 

 Herring Gull. Abundant on Lake Winnipeg and all large 

 bodies of water. Most of the specimens secured by us were 

 shot at a lake called "Crow-Duck Lake" by the natives, 

 which is not indicated on any map. It is about eight miles 

 south-west of Grand Rapids, is nearly circular in shape, and 

 perhaps fourteen miles in diameter. It empties by a rapid 

 stream into Lake Winnipeg some ten or fifteen miles distant. 

 We were told that both pelicans and cormorants had breeding 

 places on an island in this lake, but found neither. Our 

 visit to "Crow Duck Lake" was a long to be remembered 

 experience, involving the night spent in the muskeg without 

 any protection from mosquitoes, mentioned in a former part 

 of this report. We found a small rookery of herring gulls 

 on a rocky islet in the middle of the lake, and were fortunate 

 in securing some of the downy young, which are light gray, 

 spotted with blackish brown, a coloration harmonizing well 

 with the rocks. Upon our approach they tried to conceal 

 themselves among the rushes bordering the islet, and when 

 driven out of these, took to the water, where they were easily 

 caught by the Indians from a canoe. This gull is considered 

 good eating by the half breeds, great quantities being killed in 

 the fall, as I am informed in a recent letter from Mr. Russell. 

 I have been unable to find in any work on coloration of ani- 

 mals, a satisfactory theory to account for the white color of the 

 under parts of many sea birds. It has occurred to me, how- 



