GULLS. 73 



Washington, common W. V., Oct. to Mch. Long Island, abundant W. V., 

 Sept. to May, a few in summer. Sing Sing, common T. V., Sept. 21 to May 

 9 ; common W. V. when river is open. Cambridge, abundant W. V., Nov. 

 to Apl. 



Nest, of grasses, moss, seaweed, etc., on the ground, but, where the birds 

 have been persistently robbed, it is more compactly built and placed in trees, 

 sometimes fifty feet or more from the ground. Eggs, two to three, grayish 

 olive-brown, rarely whitish, spotted, blotched, and scrawled with distinct and 

 obscure chocolate markings, 2*85 x 1-90. 



This species is by far the most abundant winter Gull along the 

 coasts of the Middle and Southern States. Unlike the more pelagic 

 species, it frequents our rivers and harbors, feeding about piers and 

 wharves, and near the cities showing comparatively little fear of man. 

 Sometimes one may see them "bedded" in flocks on the water, where 

 they alight to rest. It is generally this species which follows in the 

 wake of our coastwise vessels, sailing astern, when the wind is from 

 ahead, without the slightest perceptible movement of the wings. (For 

 an interesting life-history of the Herring Gull see Mackay, Auk, ix, 

 1892, pp. 221-228.) 



The EUROPEAN HEKRING GULL (51. Larus argentatus] differs from our 

 species in being slightly smaller and in having the two white spaces at the 

 tip of the first primary joined, the black spot, therefore, being broken or 

 entirely absent. It is of rare occurrence on the Atlantic coast of North 

 America. 



54. Larus delawarensis Ord. KING-BILLED GULL. Ad. in sum- 

 mer. Back and wings pearl-gray ; first primary black, with a white spot near 

 the tip, the base of the inner half of the inner web pearl-gray (Fig. 60, b) ; 

 second primary black, the basal half of the inner web pearl-gray ; on the 

 third to sixth primaries the black decreases rapidly, and each one is tipped 

 with white ; rest of the plumage pure white ; bill greenish yellow with a black 

 baud in front of the nostril. Ad. in winter. Similar to the above, but the 

 head and nape streaked with grayish. Im. Upper parts varying from ashy 

 fuscous, the feathers margined with whitish, to pearl-gray, the feathers more 

 or less mottled, spotted, or, on the head and neck, streaked with ashy fus- 

 cous ; outer primaries black, tail varying from pearl-gray, more or less mottled 

 with blackish, to white, and crossed near the end by a wide band of black ; 

 basal half of the bill yellowish, end black. L., 18-50 ; W., 14-00 ; T., 6'00 ; 

 B., 1-60. 



Range. North America, more common in the interior ; breeds from 

 southern Minnesota and Newfoundland northward ; winters from Long Island 

 to Cuba and Mexico. 



Washington, very common T. V., Feb. to Apl. 5 ; Oct. to Nov. ; rare in 

 winter. Long Island, common W. V., Aug. to Apl. Sing Sing, casual T. V. 



Nest, of grasses, etc., on the ground. Eggs, two to three, clay-color, buffy, 

 or whitish, rather evenly spotted with chocolate, 2*30 x 1-65. 



