28 BIRDS OF NORTH CAROLINA 



gray; underparts varying from dirty whitish to ashy gray, generally darker on belly, sometimes 

 mottled with buffy or grayish. (Birds of the second year are said to be pure white.) L., 28.00; 

 W., 17.10; B., 2.35; depth of B. at projection on the lower mandible .75 to 1.00; Tar., 2.60. 

 (Chap., Birds of E. N. A.) 



Range. Arctic regions, sometimes straggling in winter to North Carolina. 



Range in North Carolina. Known to have been taken once in winter near Cape Lookout. 



The appearance of this gull in North Carolina must be regarded as a very rare 

 occurrence. One was found at Morehead City, Carteret County, March 30 or 31 

 1895, by Gerald H. Thayer. (Auk, vol. 19, July, 1902, p. 285.) 



11. Larus marinus (Linn.). GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL. 



Ads. in summer. Back and wings slaty black; wing-feathers tipped with white; rest of 

 plumage white; tail sometimes mottled with dusky. Ads. in winter. Similar, but with head 

 and neck streaked with grayish. Im. Head and nape whitish, streaked with grayish; back 

 and wings, except primaries, brownish, the feathers margined and irregularly marked with 

 pale buffy; primaries dark brownish black, inner ones with small white tips; tail mottled with 

 black and white; underparts whitish, more or less streaked or barred with grayish. L., 29.00; 

 W., 18.50; T., 8.00; B., 2.50. (Chap., Birds of E. N._A.) 



Range. North Atlantic, breeding from Nova Scotia northward, and wintering from southern 

 Greenland to North Carolina. 



Range in North Carolina. Coastal region in winter; not common. 



FIG. 7. GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL. 



The Black-backed Gull, or "Saddleback/' breeds in North American waters from 

 the Bay of Fundy northward, and North Carolina is probably about the southern 

 limit of its winter range. "I saw one near Hatteras Inlet February 26, 1906, and 

 on April 2, 1907, one was taken at Pea Island by J. B. Etheridge and forwarded to 

 me for the State Museum." H. H. BRIMLEY. One was seen by C. R. Hooker at 

 Pea Island on February 15, 1901. (Bishop, Auk, Feb., 1901, p. 26.) 



12. Larus argentatus (Pont.). HERRING GULL. 



Ads. in summer. Back and wings deep pearl-gray; first primary tipped with white, then 

 crossed by a small black mark, then a much larger white one; this is followed by a black space; 

 the black runs down the outer web of the feather to near its base and the shaft part of the 

 inner web nearly as far, leaving the inner two-thirds of the web below the black mark white; 

 second primary similar, but second white mark is a round spot on the inner web, and the black 

 occupies a greater space near tip, but does not continue so far down on feather; third to sixth 



