34 



NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS EGGS. 



55. Short-billed Gull. Larus brachyrhynchus. 



Range. Breeds from the interior of British Columbia northward to. Alaska; 

 south in winter to Lower California. 



The Short-billed or American 



Mew Gull is seventeen inches in . ^~ .^ 



length, has a short, stout bill and 

 is otherwise similar to the preced- ^^4 * 



ing species. Nests on islands in 

 the lakes and along the river banks 

 of Alaska. The nest is made of ** 



grass, weeds and moss and is placed t. K 



on the ground. Early in June the 

 birds lay their set of three eggs, 

 the ground color of which is green- 

 ish brown marked with dark brown. 

 Size 2.25 x 1.60. Data. Mackenzie 

 River, N. W. T., June 18, 1900. 

 Three eggs. Nest made of seaweed 

 and grass and placed on the ground 

 on an island in the river. 



[Pale greenishbrown. 



V, 



[Pale greenish brown. J 



57. Heerman Gull. Larus heermani. 



[56.] Mew Gull. Larus canus. 



This is the European variety of 

 the above species, breeding common- 

 ly both in the British Isles and 

 northern Europe. This species is 

 given a place in our avifauna because 

 of its accidental appearance in 

 Labrador. 



Range. Pacific Coast of North America from British Columbia south to 

 Panama, breeding chiefly south of the United States border. 



A very handsome species, often called the White-headed Gull, and wholly 

 unlike any other; length seventeen inches. Adults, in summer, have the entire 

 head, neck and throat white, this shading quite abruptly into the slaty upper 

 and under parts ; the primaries and tail are black, the latter and the secondaries 

 being tipped with white. The legs and bill are vermilion. They are found off 

 the coast of California, but are not believed to breed there. They are known to 

 breed on some of the islands off the Mexican coast nesting on the ground 

 the same as the other species. The three eggs are greenish drab in color and 

 are marked with different shades of brown and lilac. Size 2.45 x 1.50. 



