394 THE FUR SEALS OF THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 



obtained ou the Islands." — {Elliott.) They were apparently feeding upon insects and 

 upon tlie small blackberry of Empetrum. No. 62523, ad. $ , June 13, 1872, St. Paul, 

 H. W. Elliott. 



Family LARIDAE. GuHs and Terns. 



Of the eight members of this family given here from the islands, three are strik- 

 ing features of the summer fauna. The others are either rare breeders or are casual 

 visitors during migrations or in winter. Of two no specimens appear to have been 

 taken, and of several others but few have been seen or collected. 



32. Larus schistisagus Stejn. Slaty-backed Gull. 



Larns marinus schistixagus, CoUE.s, Key, 1890, 892. 



Larus schistisagus, A. O. U. Ch. List, 1895, 18. — Saunders, Cat. B., Br. Mus. XXV, 1896, 

 281.— RiDGWAY, Man., 1896, 29. 



Several of the natives informed me that a large black-backed gull, different from 

 the following, bred sparingly on the cliffs of Otter Island, and that they rarely visited 

 St. Paul. Daniel Webster, an old experienced sealer who had then spent twenty-two 

 years on the islands, also told me that a large dark-backed gull was to be found in 

 small numbers on the cliffs of St. George. On June 11, on St. Paul I saw three, and 

 on Juno 12, another, which c^anie in over the Reef from the direction of Otter Island. 

 Several evenings after Atigust I 1 noticed some large gulls flying slowly in from tlie 

 lieef (on oneevening I counted seven). The mantle was niuchdarkertlian in </laucescens. 

 They were probably this species, the status of which is very uncertain on the American 

 side of Bering Sea. 



33. Larus glaucescens Nauui. Glaucoiie-winged Gull. "Chikie." 



Larus glauciis, CouE.s, iu Elliott's Rpt. AH'. Alaska., 1873; licprinl, 1875, 198. — Eixiorr, Moii. 



Seal Ids., 1882, 132. 

 Larus glaurcscvns, Saundkks, Cat. B., Br. Mus. XXV, 1896, 284.— Coues, Key, 1890, 741.— A. (). IJ. 



Ch. List, 1895, 17.— Ridgway, Man., 1896, 27. 



Resident except when ice and snow compels its absence. This is the common large 

 gull of the islands, the chief scavenger. Breeds on the cliffs of St. George and Otter 

 islands, and abundantly on the flat central portion of the southern end of Walrus 

 Island. It does not breed on St. Paul, owing, doubtless, to the smallness of the cliffs. 

 It is common there, however, for it is a prime scavenger and regularly visits tiie look 

 erics and killing grounds, and nothing in the shape of food comes amiss to it. On 

 Walrus Island the nests are quite numerous. On June 13 many contained three eggs 

 well incubated, some had two fresh eggs, whihi a few had one or two young and an 

 egg or two. Larger young were picked up on the rocks near the nests. The nests 

 are well made, clean, and are generally composed of dead graiss stems, which tlie birds 

 bring from St. Paul. While most were placed on the flat rock, a few were in depi-es- 

 sions of the sand which filled some of the larger crevices of the rocks. The following 

 may possibly be an unique occurrence: After 5 p. m. on June 13, while leturniug from 

 our trip to Walrus Island, I noticed a large gull flying rapidly toward us. As it 

 approached I saw another a little on its left and somewhat lower. Soon the fixity of 

 this relation and similarity of their movements attracted my attention. The wind 

 had died out and we were taking turns at the oars. The air was chilly, the sea was 

 ley cold, and as I had nothing else to do and nothing except the distant shore of St. 

 Paul was in sight, I watched them. Still they remained in the same relative position, 



