GULLS 161 



nape and a spot on the auriculars more or less washed with grayish; back 

 varying from brownish gray to pearl-gray; lesser wing-coverts grayish 

 brown, secondaries mostly pearl-gray; first primary with outer web, tip, 

 and most of shaft part of inner web black; inner margin of inner web at 

 end of feather narrowly bordered with black; second and third primaries 

 much the same, but with slightly more black at ends; tail white, banded 

 with black and narrowly tipped with white; underparts white. L., 14'00; 

 W., 10-30; T., 4'00; B., 1'15. 



Range. N. Am. Breeds from nw. Alaska and n. Mackenzie s. to s. 

 B. C. and s. Keewatin; winters from Maine to Fla. and on the Gulf coast to 

 Tex. and Yucatan, and on the Pacific coast from s. B. C. s. to L. Calif, 

 and w. Mex. (Jalisco); in migration w. to Kotzebue Sound and e. to 

 Ungava ; casual in Bermuda and the Bahamas. 



Washington, common T. V., Mch.-May 30; Oct. and Nov. Long Island, 

 regular W. V., Nov. 18-May 11. Ossining, rather rare T. V., Apl. and Oct. 

 Cambridge, rare T. V. in spring. N. Ohio, regular but not common T. V., 

 Apl. 10-May 20; Sept. 1-20. SE. Minn., common T. V., Apl. 23. 



Nest, of sticks lined with grasses, etc., on stumps, in bushes or trees four 

 to twenty feet from the ground. Eggs, 3-4, grayish olive with a greenish 

 tint and small clove-brown spots, chiefly about the larger end, 1'97 x 1*40 

 (B., B., and R.). Date, Anderson River, June 6. 



"This little Gull is more often found in flocks than our other species, 

 and is frequently seen flying over swamps and plowed fields search- 

 ing for worms and insects; but it is usually met with on the lakes and 

 rivers hunting its food like the Herring Gull. It is far less wary than 

 that species" (Eaton). 



It may sometimes be seen in active, fluttering groups feeding in 

 our harbors. 



The LITTLE GULL (60.1. Larus minutus), a European species, has been 

 taken once on Long Island, in September, 1887 (Dutcher, Auk, V, 1888, 

 p. 171), and once in Maine, July 20, 1910 (Norton, Auk, 1910, 447), and 

 also in Bermuda. 



61. Rhodostethia rosea (Macg.). Ross's GULL. Middle tail-feathers 

 longest. Ads. summer. Head, neck and underparts exquisite rosy shell- 

 pink ; a black ring around the neck ; back and wings pearl-gray, outer margin 

 of outer primary black above except at tip; tail white pink tinged. Ads. 

 in winter. Similar but without black collar and with less pink (Saunders). 

 Im. No collar, no pink tint; central tail-feathers tipped with blackish; 

 crown and back pearl-gray; rump barred; ear-coverts dusky, region around 

 eye streaked with dusky; below white; outer primer::, c; blackish, white on 

 the inner webs, increasing to nearly white inner primr,r:.3S and white second- 

 aries; tertials and coverts, blackish, white tipped. In a succeeding plumage 

 the tail is white and the collar evident. L., 13*50; W., 10'50; T., 5'25; B. 

 75. 



Range. Arctic regions. Breeds in delta of Kolyma River ne. Siberia; 

 migrates to Kamchatka, n. coast of Alaska, Melville Peninsula, w. coast of 

 Greenland, and Arctic islands of ErT'.pe; casual in England, Faroe Islands, 

 and Helgoland. 



Nest, on the ground of dry grass and Carices, sometimes with a few Betula 

 or Salix leaves, or of reindeer moss. Eggs, 2-3, "beautiful deep rich olive- 

 green without any of the grayish or sandy shade, spotted, especially near 

 the large end, with chocolate-brown, 1*65 x 1'22." Date, June 13. (See But- 

 urlin, Ibis, 1906, 131-139; 333-337). 



In 1905 Ross's Gull was discovered by Buturlin breeding in num- 

 bers in the delta of the Kolyma River, northeast Siberia. His obser- 



