Vol. XVII 
ico General Notes. 169 
known as craveri is the immature specimen above mentioned. In the 
light of the present material it would be unsafe to consider craver¢ as a 
synonym of hyfoleuca, thought it is possible that it may prove to be 
a plumage of the young carried through one or more moults. —A. W. 
ANTHONY, Taylorsville, Cal. 
Some notes on the Herring Gull (Larus argentatus).— The evidence 
that there is no such bird as Larus argentatus smithsonianus continues to 
accumulate. Doubts of the validity of this subspecies have been expressed 
before, both orally and in print. (Cf Knight, Hist. of Birds of Me., p. 19; 
Maine Sportsman, July, 1898, p. 13; Journal of the Me. Orn. Soc., Oct. 
1899, p. 37). These records refer to the occurrence in Maine of speci- 
mens referable to Z. argentatus, and finally question the existence of 
any subspecific differences between American and European specimens. 
While in Portland a short time ago I had occasion to visit the shop of a 
local taxidermist and noticed a large number of these birds which he had 
skinned for sale to milliners. After carefully examining fully 100 speci- 
mens, which had been shot in Portland Harbor and vicinity, I was 
delighted to find ten specimens which were, as regards the first prima- 
ries, typical examples of LZ. argentatus. Three of the birds had the first 
primary entirely white at the tip without any trace of a black bar or dot, 
and the others had the black bar only slightly indicated. Other speci- 
mens had the black bar more complete, and a perfect series of grada- 
tions could be found between adult birds with only white on the 
apical part of the first primary and birds having a black bar half an 
inch wide near its extremity. The non-existence of the so-called sub- 
species L. a. smithsontanus seems to be completely demonstrated. At the 
same time I had the opportunity of examining a large number of Kit- 
tiwake Gulls and found a greater variation in their primaries than in 
those of the Herring Gull. In both cases specimens examined for com- 
parative purposes were adult birds. —Ora W. Knicut, Bangor, Me. 
Ring-billed Gull in New Hampshire.— Thanksgiving Day, 1898, at 
Campton Village, N. H., I was invited to a country store to see a strange 
bird that had recently been made a captive. Upon examination it proved 
to be a Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensts) — evidently a young bird. 
It had first been seen at Waterville, N. H., where it was shot through 
one wing and then captured. 
Thanksgiving Day, 1899, while driving through West Campton, I was 
surprised to see a Gull chasing a large flock of hens. Upon inquiry I 
learned that this was the Gull previously seen that had now spent one 
year in captivity. Its plumage seemed in good condition and the bird 
apparently enjoyed good health. 
So far as I can learn this is the first Ring-billed Gull to enter the New 
Hampshire bird list. —ELLEN E. WessTER, Franklin Falls, N. H. 
