72 BIRDS OF THE NEW YORK CITY REGION 



(Miller). Taken once at Whippany, Morris County, May 2, 1886 

 (Thurber). One seen at Budd's Lake, September 1903 (R. C. 

 Caskey). Occasional near Montclair (Howland); regular on the 

 Reservoir at Boonton (Carter). Recorded March 2, 1920 near 

 Andover, Sussex Co. (F. Blanche Hill). 



ENGLEWOOD REGION. Abundant winter visitant, August 

 15, 1921 (Bernard Fread) to May 23, 1920 (Rogers). 



RING-BILLED GULL (Larus delawarensis) 



Few birds are more frequently misidentified than this 

 species, due to failure to understand its plumages and those 

 of the Herring Gull, and few species are harder to identify 

 positively. When direct comparison is possible, the smaller 

 size of the Ring-billed is obvious. Under favorable circum- 

 stances the color of the legs is diagnostic, yellowish green 

 in this species, flesh color in the Herring Gull. No other color 

 character is reliable. All but fully adult Herring Gulls 

 have a dark ring, spot or tip to the bill, and immature Ring- 

 billed Gulls too closely resemble second year plumages of the 

 Herring. There are still students who apparently disbelieve 

 these facts, but they should examine museum specimens. 



In spite of these handicaps to observation, there is no 

 doubt that this species is a common migrant in Long Island 

 waters. For a number of years observers suspected its occa- 

 sional presence in winter, but the discovery in 1911 that the 

 great majority of observations were unreliable at every season 

 of the year, prevented the data at hand from being accepted. 

 Fortunately Thurston collected a specimen January 1, 1914 

 at Fire Island, and another specimen taken January 26, 1892 

 at Miller Place (Helme) has since been discovered in the 

 D wight collection. Subsequent observation shows that this 

 species winters occasionally, at least, at the western end of the 

 island. It has been collected and observed off Staten Island, 

 but is unknown from the Hudson River in recent years, 

 although Fisher reports it as a casual migrant at Ossining. 



