EXPEDITION TO POINT BARROW, ALASKA. 125 



Below, including lower tail-coverts, white, or slightly tinged with rose-color; mantle pale 

 pearly blue, extending oil to the sides of the neck and back of the head, which is faintly mod led 

 with dark markings in one specimen ; black and white mottled markings round the eye, extending 

 to the corner of the mouth in one specimen ; small black spot on each side of the neck, while in 

 one case the dark collar of the adult is faintly indicated; forehead in every case white; rump 

 more or less mottled with black feathers, occasionally edged with white or pale brown. Upper 

 tail-coverts white, sometimes showing indistinct dark marks towards the tips of the feathers. 

 Tail with a broad black tip about one-fourth of its length. Middle rectrices black-shafted, with 

 this color extending more or less on the webs, continuous with the black of the tip. First, second, 

 third, and fourth primary above, shaft, outer web, and about half of inner web including tip, black, 

 the rest white; one specimen has a large white subapical spot on the fourth primary. Remaining 

 primaries gray at the base, fading into white towards the tip, where there is an oblique black bar 

 across the leather. This bar grows smaller on the successive primaries till the last is wholly 

 white. Secondaries, white. Tertiaries and scapulars dusky black, with white or light-brown edges. 

 Upper wing-coverts, alula, and lower primary coverts black, with white or light brown edges, lower 

 secondary coverts like the mantle. Under surface of the wing nearly uniform, like the mantle. 



The majority of those taken were in a very similar plumage, but always without the black 

 shafts to the middle rectrices, though the tail is always black-tipped, and one or two shov: slight 

 black markings on the upper tail-coverts. In two or three specimens the blue of the mantle extends 

 completely around the neck, and two or three have the dark collar faintly indicated, especially on 

 the back of the neck. Two have a few scattered dark feathers in the blue of the mantle, and two 

 have a few on the sides of the neck where the black spots are invariably present. A few speci- 

 mens have the upper wing -coverts indicating a change to the adult plumage. One has a few 

 " mantle-blue" feathers mixed with the mottled ones, and three or four others have about the upper 

 half of the coverts like the mantle. The white markings on the first four primaries are, rather 

 variable. One specimen has a small subapical spot on the outer web of the second, a large one on 

 the third, and about half the outer web of the fourth, white. The fourth primary is frequently in 

 this condition when the others are unspotted, and the spot appears occasionally on the third. 



The outer web of the first appears always to be black. 



About a third of the birds examined in this stage were more or less tinged with pink, and 

 four-fifths of these were males, so that this may be more or less of a sexual character. 



Both the specimens examined by Mr. Saunders lack the black tip to the tail so characteristic 

 to this stage of plumage in the autumn. The date of capture of his specimens is unknown, but it 

 is quite possible that they are the young of the previous year after the spring molt. 



677. XEMA SABINEI (J. Sabine) Leach. 



SABINE'S GULL 



Though by no means uncommon, this bird is somewhat irregular in its occurrence at Point 

 Barrow. In 1881 the young birds of the year, easily recognized by the broad, black band from the 

 shoulder to the tip of the wing, were quite abundant from the time we landed till the end of 

 October. 



In 1882, however, none were seen after August 3, and they were scarce during the breeding 

 season. On the other hand, though equally scarce in the breeding season of 1883, they appeared 

 in considerable numbers late in July and during the month of August, and were frequently seen 

 in considerable flocks, young and adults together, about the lagoons, and with the other gulls 

 collected round the whale-ships anchored at the Point. 



They evidently breed somewhere in the neighborhood, probably on the sandy islands east ot 

 Point Barrow, for one was taken June 28, 1882, with the breast bare of feathers, as if incubating, 

 but the eggs were never found. 



They are. usually to be seen dying singly up and down the shore with a peculiarly slow, 

 wavering flight, zigzagging to right and left, and occasionally light upon the water close to the 

 beach. Early in the season they are occasionally found flying some distance inland, and lighting 

 among the tundra pools. 



