20 NOTES ON THE 
points; bill, and inside of mouth dark carmine; iris bluish- 
black; legs and feet deep red. 
Length, 18; wing, 18; tail, 5; bill, 14; tarsus, 2. 
Habitat, Texas to Maine, and Middle American Pacific 
Coast. 
Dr. Coues in his Birds of the Northwest (p. 651) discredits 
my report of the observation of this species, made to the Min- 
nesota Academy of Natural Sciences in 1874. With just as 
much reason he will discredit my reaffirmation now (as he has 
done in the case of the Orchard Oriole in the same work) but 
‘the world still moves” and facts remain just as stubborn as 
ever before he compiled that very valuable work. 
LARUS PHILADELPHIA (Okp). (60.) 
BONAPARTE’S GULL. 
This beautiful little bird of its tribe reaches the principal 
portions of the State early in April, the 10th being my own 
earliest record, but it is often reported several days earlier at 
Lake Shatek in Murray county, and in other more southern 
localities. Individuals aie seen as late as the 25th of May, and 
there are the best of reasons for believing that some of them 
at least breed on the islands of the larger inland lakes of the 
northern counties and along the shores of Lake Superior. 
Gulls are known to breed in considerable numbers in those 
localities, their nests having been observed while occupied, 
and this species corresponds to the general size and more 
ostensible markings as popularly described by residents and 
unscientific hunters who have resided in those sections for 
many years. The earlier representatives reach the section 
where my own opportunities are greatest often in the latter 
part of August, and individuals are met occasionally as late as 
the 5th of November, all of which would point to the probabil- 
ities of the presumptions mentioned. Mr. Washburn found 
them relatively common at Mille Lacs lake and Dead lake late 
in October. He says ‘‘This graceful little Gull was seen almost 
daily at Dead lake, and at other lakes throughout the country; 
sometimes a single bird, more frequently a pair, or a flock of 
six or eight. When one bird is wounded, or killed, the rest 
hover for several minutes over the unfortunate comrade, when 
several may be secured.” For many years after coming to this 
State I believe that none of the Gulls bred within its borders, 
but imperfect observations led me slowly to the conviction that 
this species did so to a limited extent on the shores of Lake 
