THE BIRDS OF HELIGOLAND 555 



and also old individuals in winter plumage, appear sporadically 

 in large flocks. 



This handsome Gull breeds on all the inland seas of temperate 

 Europe and Asia. 



358. Bonaparte's Gull [BONAPARTE'S Mo WE]. 

 LARUS BONAPARTII, Swainson. 1 



Larus Bonapartii. Richardson and Swainson, Faun. Bor. Amer. t p. 425, 



pi. 72. 

 Larus Philadelphia. Seebohm, British Birds, iii. 307. 



In size this American species is intermediate between L. ridi- 

 bundus and L. minutus, its head in perfect summer plumage 

 being of a greyish black colour. I have obtained it here once, during 

 the severe winter of 1845, the bird having been in winter plumage, 

 with beautiful red feet. In England it has been seen eight or ten 

 times, and has in most of these cases been killed. Its breeding range 

 extends throughout the whole of the far north of America, from 

 Labrador to Alaska. 



359. Little Gull [ZWEBGMOWE]. 

 LARUS MINUTUS, Pallas. 



Heligolandish : Stenn-poahl. Name without special signification. 



Lams minutus. Naumann, x. 242. 

 Little Gull. Dresser, viii. 373. 



Mouette pygmee. Temminck, Manuel, ii. 787, iv. 490. 



All the gulls leave their northern breeding stations before the 

 approach of winter in order to betake themselves to more temperate 

 latitudes. In the case of none, however, does this movement so much 

 partake of the nature of a true migration as in that of the present 

 species. Long-extending flights of these pretty little birds may be 

 seen travelling over the sea past the island at the close of Septem- 

 ber and during the first half of October. Their movements, how- 

 ever, are quite different from what one is accustomed to see in the 

 case of most migrants. Companies of from one to two hundred 

 individuals travel in motley throng quite low over the sea, continu- 

 ously dropping to the surface to pick up food. All the time, 

 however, they rigidly maintain their western course of flight, and, 

 speeding along with great rapidity, are very soon lost to sight. 

 Moreover, considerable quantities of these gulls, intermingled with 



1 Larv& Philadelphia, Ord. 



