32 BULLETIN 292, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Winter range. — A few of these gulls winter as far north as southern 

 Greenland (Hagerup), but the bulk are found along the United States 

 coast from Maine to New Jersey. Some remained at North River, 

 Prince Edward Island, all of the winter of 1888-89 (Bain), but usually 

 they are forced away by the ice. A few visit the Great Lakes in 

 winter. The European birds winter on inland waters and occur 

 along the coast south to the Canaries; they also stray rarely south 

 to Egypt. The winter of 1894-95 one wandered to St. Augustine, 

 Fla. (Cory), and the species has been taken twice on Bermuda, De- 

 cember, 1851, and December 27, 1862 (Reid). It was noted at 

 Columbus, Ohio, December 16, 1907 (Jones), and near Detroit, Mich., 

 in March, 1904 (Swales). How nearly some individuals are non- 

 migratory is shown by the fact that a young bird banded July 27, 

 1912, in Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia, was found December 6, 

 1912, in Cumberland County, Me., while another one banded at the 

 same place July 23, 1912, had moved only a few miles to the next 

 county by December 18, 1912 (Cleaves). 



Spring migration. — The first great black-backed gull was noted 

 April 25, 1887, and April 18, 1888, at North River, Prince Edward 

 Island (Bain); at Romaine, Labrador, March 26, 1914 (Birdseye); 

 and at Rigolet, Labrador, April 9, 1914 (Birdseye). At St. Johns, 

 Newfoundland, the species was present as early as March 1, 1883 

 (Merriam) . 



It was noted at Atlantic City, N. J., to March 13, 1888 (Rhoads); 

 Orient, Long Island, to March 24, 1909 (Latham); Shelter Island, 

 Long Island, April 12, 1893 (Worthington) ; Branchport, N. Y., 

 April 18, 1898 (Stone); Boston, Mass., average, April 10 (Wright). 

 Some unusually late individuals were seen at Toronto, Ontario, May 

 26, 1897 (Fleming); Rockaway, Long Island, May 13, 1910 (Griscom 

 and Dow); Boston, Mass., May 25, 1907 (Wright); and at Woods 

 Hole, Mass., May 30, 1893, and June 10, 1891 (Edwards). Those 

 seen July 27, 1908, at Portland, Me. (Eastman), and July 9, 1887, at 

 the Magdalen Islands (Bishop) may have been nonbreeding birds 

 that had summered, or early fall migrants. 



Eggs have been taken at Ivigtut, Greenland, from May 3 to June 

 15 (Hagerup); near Kentville, Nova Scotia, May 22-25 (Bishop); 

 and at Godbout, Quebec, as late as July 17, 1882 (Comeau). 



Fall migration. — The average date of arrival in fall at Woods Hole, 

 Mass., is October 8, earliest September 24, 1895 (Edwards) ; the aver- 

 age at Boston, Mass., October 14, earliest October 7, 1909 (Wright); 

 and the average at Orient, Long Island, October 5, earliest September 

 12, 1906 (Latham). A very early individual was seen near Cam- 

 bridge, Mass., August 29, 1901 (Eustis) ; one near Jones Inlet, Long Is- 

 land, August 14, 1910 (Weber); and at Toronto, Ontario, September 



