﻿32 
  PROCEEDINGS 
  OF 
  THE 
  CALIFORNIA 
  

  

  is 
  black. 
  The 
  nests 
  were 
  on 
  the 
  edge 
  of 
  a 
  steep 
  bank, 
  near 
  the 
  shore, 
  and 
  ten 
  

   or 
  twelve 
  feet 
  above 
  it. 
  The 
  nest 
  was 
  situated 
  in 
  a 
  hole 
  or 
  excavation, 
  extend- 
  

   ing 
  obliquely 
  downward 
  and 
  backward 
  from 
  the 
  face 
  of 
  the 
  bank, 
  and 
  about 
  a 
  

   foot 
  deep. 
  It 
  was 
  composed 
  only 
  of 
  a 
  little 
  dry 
  grass 
  or 
  fine 
  roots 
  at 
  the 
  bot- 
  

   tom. 
  In 
  two 
  instances 
  the 
  parent 
  bird 
  was 
  caught 
  in 
  the 
  nest, 
  alive. 
  There 
  

   was 
  only 
  one 
  small 
  white 
  egg, 
  perfectly 
  fresh, 
  though 
  others 
  might 
  have 
  been 
  

   laid 
  afterward 
  had 
  they 
  remained 
  undisturbed. 
  The 
  black 
  T. 
  Leacliii, 
  though 
  

   often 
  seen 
  in 
  the 
  region 
  south 
  of 
  Lat. 
  50° 
  N., 
  was 
  not 
  noticed 
  by 
  us 
  in 
  this 
  

   region. 
  

  

  Stercorarius 
  sp. 
  

  

  A 
  species 
  of 
  Stercorarius 
  was 
  observed 
  on 
  one 
  occasion 
  in 
  the 
  month 
  of 
  May 
  

   at 
  Unalashka, 
  but 
  specimens 
  were 
  not 
  obtained, 
  nor 
  did 
  the 
  natives 
  appear 
  to 
  

   be 
  familiar 
  with 
  the 
  bird, 
  which 
  was 
  probably 
  an 
  accidental 
  visitor. 
  

  

  Larus 
  glaucescens, 
  Licht. 
  (657.) 
  

  

  This 
  gull 
  is 
  a 
  resident 
  of 
  the 
  islands 
  wherever 
  I 
  have 
  been, 
  and 
  is 
  by 
  far 
  the 
  

   most 
  abundant 
  and 
  prevalent 
  species, 
  others 
  being 
  only 
  occasionally 
  observed. 
  

  

  The 
  habit 
  of 
  this 
  and 
  other 
  species 
  in 
  breeding 
  on 
  isolated 
  rocks 
  and 
  small 
  

   islands, 
  is 
  accounted 
  for 
  by 
  the 
  immunity 
  thus 
  gained 
  from 
  the 
  ravages 
  of 
  foxea 
  

   on 
  the 
  eggs 
  and 
  young 
  brood. 
  On 
  the 
  2d 
  of 
  June, 
  1872, 
  many 
  eggs 
  in 
  a 
  pretty 
  

   fresh 
  condition 
  were 
  obtained 
  on 
  the 
  Chica 
  Rocks 
  and 
  islets 
  in 
  the 
  Akutan 
  

   Pass. 
  The 
  eggs 
  were 
  very 
  abundant, 
  more 
  than 
  three 
  being 
  rarely 
  found 
  

   together, 
  and 
  were 
  laid 
  on 
  almost 
  any 
  little 
  depression 
  of 
  the 
  ground, 
  with 
  little 
  

   or 
  no 
  attempt 
  at 
  a 
  lining. 
  About 
  the 
  18lh 
  of 
  July, 
  in 
  the 
  Shumagins, 
  at 
  Coal 
  

   Harbor, 
  on 
  a 
  peculiar 
  high, 
  round 
  island, 
  abundance 
  of 
  eggs 
  were 
  found, 
  but 
  

   most 
  of 
  them 
  pretty 
  well 
  incubated. 
  In 
  this 
  case, 
  the 
  island 
  being 
  covered 
  

   with 
  tall, 
  rank 
  grass, 
  the 
  nests 
  were 
  almost 
  concealed 
  ; 
  and, 
  either 
  from 
  the 
  

   dead 
  grass 
  naturally 
  occurring 
  in 
  the 
  depressions, 
  or 
  otherwise, 
  all 
  of 
  them 
  had 
  

   more 
  or 
  less 
  dry 
  grass 
  in 
  and 
  about 
  them. 
  The 
  gulls 
  built 
  solely 
  on 
  the 
  top 
  of 
  

   the 
  highest 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  island, 
  in 
  the 
  grass, 
  and 
  never 
  on 
  the 
  lower 
  portion, 
  near 
  

   the 
  shore, 
  nor 
  on 
  the 
  shelves 
  of 
  the 
  rocky 
  and 
  precipitous 
  sides. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  resident 
  

   throughout 
  the 
  year. 
  The 
  young, 
  in 
  down, 
  were 
  obtained 
  July 
  16lh, 
  and 
  the 
  

   iris 
  of 
  these 
  specimens, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  the 
  beak 
  and 
  feet, 
  was 
  nearly 
  black. 
  The 
  

   iris 
  of 
  the 
  adult 
  bird 
  is 
  a 
  clear 
  gray, 
  the 
  bill 
  chrome 
  yellow 
  with 
  a 
  red 
  patch 
  

   anteriorly, 
  and 
  the 
  feet 
  flesh 
  color. 
  

  

  Rhsa 
  Kotzebui 
  ? 
  

  

  This 
  species 
  frequents 
  the 
  region 
  about 
  the 
  peninsula 
  of 
  Aliaska 
  at 
  all 
  seasons, 
  

   but 
  seldom' 
  comes 
  into 
  the 
  harbors 
  except 
  in 
  storms. 
  A 
  pair 
  came 
  into 
  Iliuliuk 
  

   harbor, 
  Unalashka, 
  whenever 
  in 
  the 
  winter 
  a 
  severe 
  gale 
  was 
  blowing 
  outside, 
  

   but 
  they 
  were 
  never 
  seen 
  at 
  any 
  other 
  time. 
  They 
  are 
  quite 
  different 
  in 
  appear- 
  

   ance 
  from 
  the 
  next 
  species, 
  and 
  from 
  R. 
  brevlrostris, 
  which 
  is 
  common 
  in 
  the 
  

   Pribyloff 
  Islands. 
  

  

  Rissa 
  tridactyla, 
  Bon. 
  (672.) 
  

  

  Iris 
  of 
  adult 
  dark 
  gray, 
  bill 
  lemon 
  yellow, 
  feet 
  black 
  ; 
  edges 
  of 
  eyelids, 
  corners 
  

  

  