252 



LONG-WINGED SWIMMERS — LONGIPENNES. 



four thousand feet above the sea. In one instance a pair was found by Dr. Ludwig 

 Holtz occupying the deserted nest of a Hooded Crow, built on a bush near the shore, 

 ten feet from the ground. The same pair was said to have nested there during sev- 

 eral successive years. In another instance Mr. CoUett observed a pair near Trond- 

 hjem, in the summer of 1868, which had taken possession of the nest of an old Crow, 

 on the top of a fir-tree. The eggs when removed were replaced by another set. 



Dr. Key informed Mr. Dresser that a careful measurement of fifty specimens gave 

 as the average size of the egg of this bird, 2.30 by 1.G3 inches, the largest measuring 

 2.55 by 1.62, and the smallest 2.11 by 1.60. 



Larus Heermanni. 



HEERMANN'S GULL. 



Larus Heermanni, Cass. Pr. Ac. Nat. Sci. Philad. VI. 1852, 187 ; Illustr. B. Tex. Cal. etc. 1853, 



28, pi. 5 (adult and young). — Saunders, P. Z. S. 1878, 182. — Ridgw. Norn. N. Am. B. 1881, 



no. C72. — CouES, 2d Check List, 1882, no. 781. 

 Blasipus Hcerinanni, Bonap. Consp. XL 1857, 211. — Lawr. in Baiid's B. N. Am. 1858, 848.— 



Baird, Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, no. 666. — Coues, Pr. Ac. Nat. Sci. Philad. 1862, 304. 

 Larxis [Blasipus) Heermanni, Sol. & Salv. P. Z. S. 1871, 574 (figure). — Coues, B. N. W. 1874, 



641. 

 Larus Belcheri, Sciileg. Mus. P.-B. Lari, 1863, 9 (part; excl. syn. ; not of Vigors, 1829). 

 Larus (Blasipus) Belclieri, Coues, Key, 1872, 314 (excl. syn. fuliginosus) ; Check List, 1873, no. 



551. 



Hab. Pacific coast of America, from British Columbia to Panama. 



Sp. Char. Adult, summer plumage : Head and upper part of the neck white, changing gradu- 

 ally into ash-gray on the lower parts and pluml)eous-slate on the upper surface, the wings rather 

 darker than the back, and with a slight brownish tinge ; secondaries dusky slate, broadly tipped 



L. Heermanni, summer adult. 



with white ; tertials like the coverts, but passing terminally into white, like the secondaries ; pri- 

 maries dusky black, the shorter quills narrowly tipped with wliite. Upper tail-coverts light ash- 

 gray, like the medial lower parts. Tail dusky black, tipped with w^hite. Bill bright red, tipjied 

 with black (sometimes wholly red); eyehds red; ms "brownish gray;" legs and feet black. 



