LARID.E — THE GULLS AND TERNS— LAIlUa 



237 



We find, upon the comparison of eleven mlult Anieriam specimens with lour lulults of the 

 European Herrin}; Gull,' that the clitlerences lietween the two, as stated by Dr. Coues, are quite 

 constant, particularly as regarda size, as may be seen from the following averages of each series : — 



Average, 

 Smallest, 

 Lai^'est, 



Avoragc, 

 Sniiilk'st, 

 Liiigcst, 



Wing. 

 17.24 

 17.00 

 17.50 



Wing. 

 16.07 

 15.75 

 16.25 



American spccimcm. 



CulMien. Deiith nf bill. 



2.26 .SO 



1.96 .70 



2.60 .85 



European spccinuns. 



Culiiioii. nepth of bill. 



2.05 .76 



1.95 .75 



2.15 .80 



T.irsHs. 



2.67 

 2.30 

 2.80 



Tursns. 

 2.38 



2.30 



2..')5 



Middle toe. 

 2.10 

 1.8.". 

 2.25 



Middle toe. 

 2.00 

 1.90 

 2.15 



All lulult female from Cumberland Sound (Xo. 7fi22:i; L. Kimi.ik.n) measures as follows : Wing, 

 l(i.25 inches ; eulnien, 1.05 ; depth of bill at angle, .75 ; the dimensions thus agreeing very closely 

 with those of European specimens. 



Assuming .as one and tlie same species the llerriiiijf (hills f)f the Atlantic coasts 

 of Europe and America, we find for this species cpiite an extended range. The 

 recent discoveries of Mr. Saunders, showing that on the IVIediterranean this species 

 is nearly or (piite replaced hy the cachbmnns ; and the more recent investigations 

 of Mr. Ridgway, proving that the same reidacement occurs on our raciiic coast — 

 coiiipel us greatly to diminish the area of distribution once attributed to this bird. 



According to jNlr. liidgway, only a single exanijde of this species has been detected 

 on the I'aciHc shores; this canu> from British (loluiubia. Its area of range as given 

 by iMr. Saunders is the northwest of Europe from the Yaranger Fiord, the Haltic, 

 mill the western coast generally, down to North Africa, the Azores, Madeira, and 

 tiie Canaries. It is in Greenla'ul a rare straggler, but has been obtained at Winter 

 Islands, near Arelville I'eninsnla; it also occurs in the Hudson's Bay Territory, as 

 far as Mackenzie Biver, and thence probably to the I'acitic coast ; since tliere is a 

 specimen of this bird in the St. I'etersburg ^Museum collected at Kadiak by Wosnes- 

 sensky. Sevt-ral specimens from the west coast of Mexico are in Mr. Saunders's col- 

 lection. It also ranges down the American coast as far as Texas; and even visits 

 Cui)a and tiie Bernmdas. 



Tiiis is a common species in Great Britain, where it remains on the southern coast 

 tlirough the whole year, and in the summer breeds on all the sea-<!oasts and islands 

 where these are bordered by high cliffs. It is everywhere a bold and familiar bird, 

 fearlessly approaching the boats and nets of the Hshermen. It is especially abun- 

 dant on the islands of the Outer Hebrides, breeding on tlie coast, but not in the inte- 

 rior. The cliffs of Sumbnrgh Head — the scmthern termination of Shetland — is 

 another point where it is very abundant. It is also very numerous in the Orkneys, 

 ill the Faroe Islands, and in Iceland. It is resident throughout the year on the coast 

 of Holland and France ; and during the winter on that of Spain. 



It is one of the most common Gulls on the coast of Scandinavia, even extending 

 its range as far as the North Cape ; but it is not known to breed in the southern por- 

 tiiui of the country, with the exception of the province of Gotland. The Isle of Sylt, 

 ill Denmark, is one of its great breeding-plaees ; and here, according to Kjarbcilling, 

 from thirty to forty thousand of their eggs are annually collected for exportation. 



From Donnmrk, rfrrmnny, and the Orkneys. 



