LARUS DELAWARENSIS I RING-BILLED GULL. 349 



Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador. The nest 

 is usually placed on the ground, sometimes on rocks 

 or even trees, being a considerable heap of grasses, 

 mosses, or seaweeds ; the eggs are normally three in 

 number, about 2.75 X 1.90; the ground color, an ex- 

 tremely variable shade of greenish-gray, or drab, some- 

 times darker olive, dotted, spotted and blotched in the 

 most irregular manner with dark brown and neutral 

 tints. The Herring Gull is a constant feature of the 

 scene in our harbors from September till April, sailing 

 with great buoyancy overhead, eagerly scanning the 

 surface of the water in search of food. The majority of 

 such birds are in the dark or mottled plumage of the 

 first and second years. 



RING-BILLED GULL. 



LARUS DELAWARENSIS Ord. 



Chars. Adult plumage precisely like that of the last species, and 

 its changes substantially the same ; bill greenish-yellow, encircled 

 with a black band near the end, usually complete, sometimes 

 defective, the tip and most of the cutting edges of the bill yellow; 

 in high condition, the angle of the mouth and a small spot 

 beside the black, red; feet olivaceous, obscured with dusky 

 or bluish, and partly yellow ; the webs bright chrome. (Observe 

 the coloration of the feet, as compared with argentatus. 

 Notably smaller than argentatus ; length usually 18.00-20.00; 

 extent about 48.00 ; wing about 15.00 ; bill under 2.00, and only 

 about 0.50 deep at the protuberance ; tarsus about 2.00 ; 

 obviously longer than the middle toe. 



Another common winter Gull, oftener seen in dark 

 mottled plumage than with snow-white under parts and 



