GULLS. 



78 



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 ■th- 



Wnsliinfrton, common W, V., Oct. to Mch. Lonff Island, abMndant W. V., 

 Sept. to May, a few in surntncr. Sinj,' Sing, conuiion T. V., Stpt. 21 to May 

 it; roninion W. V. wht-n river it> open. Cambridge, abundant W. V., Nov. 

 to Apl. 



Sed, of griis»et<, mo»P, seaweed, etc., on the groiuul, but, wlierc tbe birds 

 have been persistently robi.ed, it is more eompaetly built and plaeed in trees, 

 Hoinetiiiies titty feet or more from the ground. AV/f/«, two to tliree, grayish 

 olive-brown, rarely wliitish, spotted, blotehed, and serawleil witii distiuet and 

 obseure chocolate markingH, 2-iii) x I'UO. 



This species is by far the most nbundant winter Gull alonjj the 

 coasts of the Middle and Southern States. I'nlike the more pehipc 

 species, it frequents our rivers and harbors, feedinjf about piers and 

 wharves, and near the cities sliowinj; comparatively little fear of man. 

 Sometimes one may see them "bedded" in flocks on the water, where 

 they alight to rest. It is generally this species which follows in the 

 wake of our coastwise vessels, sailing astern, when the wind is from 

 ahead, without the slightest percei)tible movement of the wings. (Kor 

 an interesting life-history of the Herring Gull see Mackay, Auk, ix, 

 1892, pp. 221-228.) 



The EiKoiEAN IIeimmxo (Jri.i, (.)/. Lams arffentafux) differs from our 

 species in being siigluly smaller and in having the two wiiite spaces at tlio 

 tip of tlie first primary joined, the bhiek spot, tlierefore, being broken or 

 entirely absent. It is of rare occurrence on the Atlantic coar-t of iS'orth 

 America. 



64. liBTUS delawarensis Ord. KiNo-mi.i.Ki) (!ri.i,. Ad. in sum- 

 mer. — Back and wings pearl-gray ; first [)rimary black, witli a w iiite spot near 

 tlie tip, the base of the inner half of the inner web pearl-gray ( Fig. (i(», h) ; 

 second prinuiry black, tiie basal half of the inner web pearl-gray ; on tho 

 third to sixth primaries the black decreases raj)idly, and eaeii one is tijiped 

 witli white ; rest of the plumage pure white ; bill greenish yellow witli a black 

 band in front of the nostril. Ad. in winter. — Similar to the above, but the 

 head and nape streaked witli grayish. Im. — Ui)i>er parts varying from asliy 

 fuscous, the feathers margined with whitish, to pear' gray, the feathers more 

 or less mottled, spotted, or, on tlie head and neck, streaked with ashy fu8- 

 eous; outer primaries black, tail varying from pearl-gray, more or less mottled 

 with blackish, to white, and crossecl nciir tbe I'ud liy a wide ln'iid of black; 

 basal half of the bill yellowish, end black. L., iH-.jO; W., Uim); T., 6-00; 

 B., l-OO. 



Hanijfi. — North America, more comnmn in the interior; breeds from 

 southern Minnesota and Newfbundlaiul northward; winters from Long Island 

 to Cuba and Mexico. 



Wusliington, very common T. V., Feb. to Apl. T); Oct. to Nov.; rare in 

 winter. Long Island, common VV. V., Aug. to Apl. Sing Sing, casual T. V. 



AV/t^, of grasses, etc., on the ground. AV/f/«. two to three, clay -color, buffy, 

 or whitish, rather evenly spotted with chocolate, '2-30 x l-rt6. 



