208 Birds of Oregon and Washington 



PARTICULAR DESCRIPTION. Summer plumage : 

 Crown and back, bright rufous, streaked with black ; 

 wings, brown, with white edge on greater-coverts ; tail- 

 feathers, brown, darker in the middle ; sides of head, 

 neck, and breast, grayish-white, finely streaked with 

 dusky ; superciliary line, white ; abdomen, black ; bill, 

 feet, and legs, black. 



Transient. 



THE GULLS. 



This book would lack something, if it did not 

 at least name some of the most common of those 

 sea-birds which are so much in evidence at cer- 

 tain times of the year upon the sea-shore or on 

 our rivers, inland lakes and even about the docks 

 of our commercial cities. 



They are everywhere objects of great beauty, 

 and about the cities and towns upon our coast 

 are useful sanitary agents, devouring the offal 

 which floats upon the harbors. 



A number of the varieties of this family are to 

 be seen regularly at certain seasons in these 

 States. 



The small Gulls with slim bodies, sharp bills, 

 and tails more or less forked, are known as Terns, 



