52 NATURAL HISTORY COLLECTIONS IN ALASKA. 



The youLig are Latched the last of June or first of July and are ou the wiug early iu 

 August. At this time the young of this species, iu company with those of glaucescens, are fouud 

 quartering the marshes, tide-creeks, and sea-coast iu every direction and are very unsuspicious 

 and curious, following every boat or kyalc they come across. Their note is like that of the adult. 

 At this time the feet, legs, and base of bill of the young are pale lieshcolor, outer third of latter 

 dark horu color, iris hazel. 



The last of August and September forms the moulting season of the adults, and their iris be- 

 comes golden yellow, the gape, ridge of culmeu, and a bar across the mandible where occurs the 

 vermilion patch iu spring, are yellow, the rest of bill dull flesh color. Feet and legs pale flesh-color. 

 The wing-feathers of these gulls are lost iu pairs, one from each wing, and fall in rotation from the 

 innermost secondary to outer primary. The tail feathers are dropped iu rapid succession, but the 

 wing-moult extends over weeks. 



These are among the last birds to quit the marshes, and are found very numerous along the 

 coast until the last of October, when the ice closes the water. 



The fur traders secured young birds from the Upper Yukon at Fort Reliance ou September 28 

 and October IS, the river being frozen over ou the latter date. They occur at intervals along the 

 entire Yukon. 



Mr. Dall records the capture of the young (under the name of /( ntch inxi) as taken at Fort Y'ukon 

 by Mr. Lockhart. 



During the cruise of the Corwiu in the summer of ISSl the writer fouud this fine bird every- 

 whei'e along the coast of Bering Sea and the Arctic Ocean visited by us. 



They uest upon all the Aleutian Islands, although not enumerated by Mr. Dall iu his lists of 

 the birds fouud thei-e, he doubtlessly including both this species and glaiiccscens under the latter 

 name. 



Upon the Fur Seal group both species occur and breed, but iu his list of the birds found on 

 these islands Mr. Elliott only mentions the " Burgomaster." Although the latter are very com- 

 monly seen circling over these islands, they nest almost exclusively upon Walrus Island, a detached 

 rocky islet, where the birds have no fear of the depredations of foxes, which swarm on the. larger 

 islands. 



They nest the first of June, laying, as on the mainland, three eggs. In three weeks the youug 

 appear, covered with a white, downy coat, soon giviug place to the brownish gray first plumage. 



Mr. Elliott thinks there were about five or six hundred nests ou Walrus Island in 1872. 



This fine bird also nests on Saint Matthew's, Saint Lawrence, and the Diomede Islands in 



this sea. 



Their habits vary with the locality. At one part of the coast they nest on small islets in 

 uuirshy lakes, and at others they place their nests overhanging the breakers on some rugged cliff, 

 and again the upland on some sea-girt isle is the chosen spot. 



Except about their breeding places or about a great feeding resort the Burgomaster is inclined 

 to be suspicious and does not allow a near approach. The youug require at least three years iu 

 which to acquire their full plumage. 



North of Europe and Asia Nordenskjold fouud the Glaucous Gull nesting on the Bear Islauds, 

 Spitzbergen, Nova Zembla, and the New Siberian Islauds. 



Larus leucoptekus Faber. Iceland Gull (Esk. Kn-l-izh-fi-wfiK-). 



This is, perhaps, the most abundant gull along the coasts and about the islauds of Bering 

 Sea, thence along the adjoining Arctic coasts. It was found abundant ou the Y'ukon, from Anvik 

 to the sea, by Mr. Dall, who secured its eggs there from the 5th to 10th of June. The eggs were 

 laid iu small depressions in the sandy beaches of the islands iu the river. 



Along the marshy stretches of the coast it also frequents the ponds aud sluggish streams and 

 nests ou small islets exactly as does its larger relative, barrovianus. At many points they nest 

 upon the cliffs of the bold islands or the rocky coast line. Their habits are almost identical with 

 those of barrovianus. The first leads iu the ice at sea during the last of April or first of May 

 brings these gulls about aud they remain until forced south by new ice the last of October. 



