300 Allen, Kumlien's Gull near Boston. [juiy 



At other places on the coast the records for the winter are as 

 follows : — 



1 adult Glaucous Gull in Boston Harbor, February 7 (Dr. Townsend). 

 1 young Glaucous Gull at Ipswich, March 1 (Dr. Townsend). 

 1 Glaucous Gull in pure white plumage at Marblehead Neck, February 

 27 (Mr. Wright). 



1 young Iceland Gull (?) at Devereux, January 16 (Mr. Wright). 



1 young Iceland Gull (?) at Lynn Beach, February 22 (Mr. Wright.) 



1 young Iceland Gull (?) at Marblehead Neck, February 27 (Mr. Wright). 



The last three birds were not identified positively as to size, and one 

 or more of them may possibly have been L. glaucus-. 



It is not particularly difficult for the trained observer to dis- 

 tinguish the wliite-wingod o;ulls in the field from the Herring 

 Gull; but as between L. glauni.s' and L. leucopterus a positive 

 identification is not so easy, and probably cannot be determined 

 with certainty unless the bird is seen under very favorable condi- 

 tions and with other gulls i-lose by with which to compare it as to 

 size. One soon gets to recognize the white-winged species flying, 

 even at a considerable distance, and the smaller size of the Iceland 

 Gull is seen perhaps more distinctly on the wing than when the bird 

 is sitting. The bill, when it can be distinctly seen, is an excellent 

 field-mark, the Iceland Gull's, like that of Kumlien's Gull, being 

 much smaller in proportion than are the other dimensions, as is 

 shown by the measurements given by Dr. Dwight in 'The Auk,' 

 January, 19()() (Vol. XXIII, p. 28). The adult Kundien's Gull, 

 when seen under favorable conditions, is easily distinguished from 

 L. (jJaucus and L. leucoptcrufi, for the s])ots on the primaries cannot 

 fail to be noticed whether the bird is sitting or flying. 



Of course the foregoing records lack the definiteness that would 

 have attached to them had it been possible to take specimens in 

 each case, but I trust they will be accepted for what they are worth. 

 At any rate, it has seemed to some of us that it would be worth 

 while to publish them, in the interests of defining the status of these 

 three species as winter visitants to the ]\Iassachu.setts coast, and 

 with the hope of inciting other observers to watch for them both 

 there and elsewhere. 



