IDENTIFICATION CHAPTER. 



Western Gull (the common Sea-Gull). Legs rather long 

 and feet webbed; bill deep and strong; length, 2 feet; plu- 

 mage pure white, except for top of wings and middle back, 

 which are dark slaty blue, and part of the wing-feathers, which 

 are black; young mottled with drab or brown. Abundant 

 resident along the sea-coast and in San Francisco Bay. (See 

 page 103.) 



Brown Pelican. Length, 4% feet; stretch of wings, 8% 

 feet ; bill, 13 inches long, with large, bare elastic pouch hang- 

 ing beneath ; head white, yellow-tinged ; rest of plumage gray- 

 ish. Common most of the year along our Western sea-coast 

 south of Puget Sound. (See page 147.) 



American Coot, or Mud-Hen. Duck-like in appearance 

 and habits, but legs long, and toes "lobed" instead of com- 

 pletely webbed ; plumage sooty black, more slaty below, some- 

 times whitish ; bill conspicuously whitish, with an extension 

 running back onto the forehead; length, 14 inches; tail very 

 short. Abundant on ponds and marshy lakes everywhere. 

 (See page 93.) 



Killdeer Plover .Legs long, three-toed ; length, 10) inches ; 

 back brownish ; lower parts white, except for two black bars 

 across the breast ; white patch on forehead between two other 

 black bands. Abundant resident on damp meadows and 

 around ponds. (See page 97.) 



Mourning Dove (often called Turtle-Dove). Length, 12 

 195 



