NORTH AMERICAN GULLS AND THEIR ALLIES. 55 



(Sundevall); Blacksburg, Va., October 24, 1898 (Smyth); Licking 

 Reservoir, Ohio, October 15, 1906 (Jones); Hamilton, Ontario, once 

 in April and once in October (Mcllwraith) ;' near Philadelphia, Pa., 

 October 22, 1911 (Stone); and near Holland, Mich., April 28, 1897 

 (Barrows). The species has been widely chronicled — through a 

 printer's error — as an abundant bird in Utah, whereas it is only 

 accidental there, having been noted June 2, 1902, and once in 1906, 

 both at Great Salt Lake (Goodwin). 



Spring migration. — That the earliest spring dates for Franklin's 

 gull in the United States should come from Minnesota and South 

 Dakota is remarkable. .This is an extreme example of what has 

 been noted in lesser degree with many species — that they appear in 

 their southern breeding grounds, earlier than in the region directly 

 to the south which they must have crossed to reach the summer 

 home. The average date of spring arrival at Heron Lake, Minn., is 

 April 4, earliest March 27, 1889; southeastern South Dakota, average 

 April 7, earliest March 27, 1890; Badger, Nebr., average April 2, 

 earliest March 30, 1900; Wall Lake, Iowa, average April 24, earliest 

 April 19, 1911; eastern Kansas, average April 21, earliest April 10, 

 1891; eastern North Dakota, average May 1, earliest April 21, 1895; 

 Aweme, Manitoba, average April 25, earliest April 8, 1901; Indian 

 Head, Saskatchewan, average May 3, earliest April 25, 1906. 



Some other spring dates are: Monteer, Mo., April 20, 1909 (Savage) ; 

 Liter, 111., April 21, 1882 (Griffin); Warsaw, 111., once, May, 1875 

 (Ridgway) ; Keokuk, Iowa, April 6, 1902 (Currier) ; Elk River, Minn., 

 April 13, 1888 (Bailey); Fort Stockton, Tex., April 24 (specimen in 

 U. S. National Museum); Kerrville, Tex., April 26, 1909 (Lacey); 

 Lincoln, Nebr., April 10, 1899 (Wolcott); Alda, Nebr., April 3, 1884 

 (Powell); and Brookings, S. Dak., March 22, 1908 (Matheson). 



The species was common in Callao Bay, Peru, as late as April 11, 

 1883 (Macfarlane), while a late date is that of one taken at Cham- 

 perico, Guatemala, May 30, 1873 (Salvin). Other late spring dates 

 are: Kerrville, Tex., May 17, 1910 (Lacey); Nishna Lake, Mo., May 

 15, 1909 (Burnett); Wall Lake, Iowa, average date of the last seen, 

 May 24, latest June 27, 1910 (Spurrell); Onaga, Kans., May 11, 

 1910 (Crevecoeur) ; Clay Center, Kans., June 6, 1909 (Graves); 

 Hudson, Kans., June 9, 1907 (specimen identified at Biological Sur- 

 vey); and Aransas Bay, Tex., June, but not breeding (Armstrong). 



The earliest eggs were found at Heron Lake, Minn., May 25, 1885, 

 May 8, 1886, May 18, 1890, and May 26, 1893 (Miller) ; near Marsh 

 Lake, Minn., May 16, 1885 (Preston); and eggs heavily incubated, 

 near Crane Lake, Saskatchewan, June 13, 1894 (Macoun). An enor- 

 mous colony, estimated at 15,000 to 20,000 nests with eggs, was found 

 at Lake of the Narrows, Saskatchewan, June 9, 1905 (Bent). The 



