2 7 2 Henshaw on the Gulls of the Californian Coast. [July 



swarming with Gulls, and it is surprising that so little has been 

 made known respecting the species represented and their relative 

 numbers. 



A limited opportunity for collecting and making observations on 

 the coast from Santa Barbara to San Diego during the months of 

 November and December of 1884, yielded some notes which seem 

 worthy of record. 



Larus argentatus smithsonianus. — This Gull has hitherto been reported 

 from the Pacific coast only from Alaska. It is an exceedingly abundant 

 species from Santa Barbara to San Diego, frequenting the shore and bays 

 in numbers second only to the Larus occidentalis. Indeed in some local- 

 ities it doubtless outnumbers the latter species as a winter resident. 



Larus occidentalis. — Very numerous. This is far excellence the Gull 

 of the Californian coast, being abundant at all seasons. 



Larus delawarensis and 



Larus californicus. — Both species are fairly numerous. 



Larus philadelphiae. — This species is not uncommon in San Diego Bav- 

 in December, and I saw it on the coast farther north in November. The 

 bulk of the species, however, probably winters to the southward. 



Larus canus and 



Larus brachyrhynchus. — Under these two names I mention provisionally 

 two species of small Gulls which appear to be quite identical with two • 

 species inhabiting Alaska in summer, farther south than which they have 

 not been known hitherto to occur. Both appear to be not uncommon 

 along the southern coast of California, though they are, perhaps, the least 

 common of the several species mentioned. 



Whether the L. canus (so-called) of Alaska is identical with the European 

 species, or whether it is a distinct form (species or variety), is at present 

 in doubt, and much more material is necessary to settle the question than 

 is at present contained in the National Museum collection. 



The exact status of the Alaskan L. brachyrhynchus, its relationship to the 

 European species and to L. canus. is also doubtful, from a similar lack of 

 specimens. Mr. Walter Bryant has kindly sent me for examination a 

 specimen of brachyrhynchus in immature plumage, taken in San Francisco 

 Bay in the late fall, where he reports it as being uncommon. It is notice- 

 able that nearly all the specimens observed by myself, together with the 

 few taken (with one exception), were young birds, the implication being 

 that the adults for the most part winter further north, probably from San 

 Francisco northward, and perhaps in Puget Sound. 



Stercorarius parasiticus. — This species is common in Alaska, but the 

 bird has not been known thus far from further south than British Colum- 

 bia. It appears to be common in December from Santa Barbara north. 



