w 



LARID^E — THE GULLS AND TERNS — LARUS. 



213 



Yoiinij, 



iiicnse numbers. They speak of its nest as being large and untidy, formed of sea- 

 weed, and usually eontaining three eggs. Tlu^ nests were found on the shore, or, 

 more often, on the low rocks, and in one or two instances were even built on masses 

 (if ice. This Gull was observed to act in a very tyrannical manner toward the weaker 

 liiids in its vicinity. Its plumage was so very dense that it could only with the great- 

 est difficulty be penetrated 

 by shot. Its eggs were 

 hardly distinguishable from 

 those of Larus marinus. 



Professor Alfred New- 

 ton, in his paper on the 

 Ornithology of Spitzber- 

 gcu, speaks of finding this 

 Gidl far less numerous than 

 the Kittiwakes, but prob- 

 ably extending its range 

 iilong the entire coast of 

 the country. 



Sir James Ross refers to 

 tiiis species as being abun- 

 dant on the shores of Low 

 Island, although it was not 

 seen nortli of latitude 81°. 

 Professor Newton's friend, who went to the eastward from the Thousand Islands, 

 met with m.any young Hurgomaster Gulls about half-fledged ; and he was informed 

 by his pilot that they had been f(mnd breeding, in the summer of l.SaO, on Gilies Land. 

 Dr. Malnigren reported this species as breedingin incredible numbers on Ilear Island; 

 he also remarked that it chooses the highest parts of the cliffs for niditication. lie 

 likewise found it breeding high up on the mountain sides, apart from any other 

 species. When in Loon 15ay he saw one of these Gulls swoop down like a I'^ileon 

 upon a young Urla t/ri/Ur, seize it in its beak, and devour it on the jirojecting point 

 of tlic nearest rocky cliif, where the numerous skeletons bore witness to its rapaciity 

 at previous times. 



Jliddcndorff includes this species among the birds of Siberia, and places it in the list 

 of those which penetrate to the most northern portions of that country. JNlr. (I. Gillctt, 



in his Notes on the IJirds of Nova Zend)la, 

 mentions finding it abundant everywhere 



"■■'" ,,c..,-— -I^..- .: -7 ~ " '-I in that region. It Avas noticed all along 



"-r, ,_ '^'^" " ^•"•^' ~ the coast, both on the eastern and on tlie 



"' ■;'<■.,.. .-"--. " _^ western sides, and did not confine itself 



to the ice as much as do some of the 

 other species. In this same locality Von 

 Heuglin reports it as pretty common 

 southward as far as Jugors Strait. Mr. 

 R. Swhdioe ("Ibis," April, 1874) reports this species as having been seen at Hako- 

 «l;uli, Japan, in March. 



Mr. Wheelwright was informed that the Glaucous Gull breeds occasionally on 

 the coast of East Finland. Tlie eggs are two — seldom three — in number, and 

 arc rather smaller than those of le marinus — wliich, liowever, they closely resend)le, 

 although their ground-color is li ,.iter, and the markings are smaller. 



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