﻿126 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  with 
  white 
  ; 
  head, 
  neck, 
  tail 
  and 
  under 
  parts 
  pure 
  white 
  ; 
  bill 
  bright 
  chrome 
  

   yellow, 
  with 
  a 
  large 
  vermilion 
  spot; 
  iris 
  lemon-yellow; 
  eyelids 
  and 
  mouth 
  

   vermilion; 
  legs 
  and 
  feet 
  pale 
  flesh 
  color. 
  luunatitre: 
  "Upper 
  parts 
  dusky 
  

   chocolate-brown, 
  mottled 
  with 
  whitish 
  and 
  light 
  rufous, 
  the 
  latter 
  on 
  back 
  

   and 
  wings, 
  the 
  feathers 
  being 
  tipped 
  and 
  wing 
  coverts 
  deeply 
  indented 
  

   with 
  this 
  color; 
  primaries 
  and 
  tail 
  brownish 
  black, 
  the 
  fonner 
  tipped, 
  the 
  

   latter 
  subterminally 
  barred, 
  and 
  its 
  outer 
  feathers 
  mottled, 
  with 
  whitish." 
  

   [Coues]. 
  Under 
  parts 
  varied 
  with 
  w^hitish 
  and 
  dusky, 
  lightest 
  on 
  the 
  throat 
  ; 
  

   bill 
  black. 
  The 
  specimen 
  figured 
  by 
  Mr 
  Fuertes, 
  plate 
  5, 
  is 
  evidently 
  

   in 
  the 
  faded-out 
  plumage 
  of 
  the 
  first 
  winter, 
  being 
  much 
  lighter 
  than 
  the 
  

   average 
  fall 
  specimen 
  of 
  the 
  first 
  year. 
  

  

  Distinctive 
  marks. 
  Mature 
  birds 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  can 
  always 
  be 
  recog- 
  

   nized 
  even 
  at 
  a 
  great 
  distance 
  by 
  their 
  large 
  size 
  and 
  black 
  mantle. 
  Imma- 
  

   ture 
  birds 
  differ 
  from 
  the 
  Glaucous 
  gull, 
  our 
  only 
  species 
  which 
  compares 
  

   with 
  them 
  in 
  size, 
  b}' 
  their 
  dark 
  primaries 
  and 
  the 
  generally 
  darker 
  coloration 
  

   of 
  the 
  upper 
  parts. 
  

  

  The 
  Great 
  black 
  -backed 
  gull. 
  Saddle-back, 
  or 
  Coffin-carrier 
  is 
  less 
  

   arctic 
  in 
  distribution 
  than 
  the 
  three 
  species 
  just 
  described, 
  breeding 
  as 
  far 
  

   south 
  as 
  the 
  Bay 
  of 
  Fundy. 
  It 
  is 
  consequently 
  more 
  often 
  seen 
  with 
  us, 
  

   occurring 
  as 
  a 
  coinmon 
  winter 
  visitant 
  on 
  the 
  shores 
  of 
  Long 
  Island, 
  Mr 
  

   Butcher's 
  dates 
  ranging 
  from 
  Septeinber 
  22 
  to 
  March 
  17, 
  and 
  a 
  regular 
  

   but 
  uncommon 
  winter 
  visitant 
  on 
  the 
  Great 
  Lakes 
  [see 
  Savage, 
  Auk, 
  12 
  13 
  12, 
  

   and 
  Davison, 
  Birds 
  of 
  Niagara 
  County]. 
  It 
  is 
  also 
  occasionally 
  taken 
  in 
  

   the 
  interior 
  of 
  the 
  State, 
  as 
  at 
  Brockport 
  [see 
  Short, 
  p. 
  5]; 
  and 
  Branchport, 
  

   April 
  18, 
  1898 
  [see 
  Stone, 
  Auk, 
  16:284]; 
  and 
  at 
  Booneville, 
  Februarv 
  1903 
  

   [see 
  Johnson, 
  iluk, 
  20:303]. 
  Correspondents 
  also 
  report 
  it 
  from 
  the 
  shore 
  of 
  

   Lake 
  Ontario 
  in 
  the 
  counties 
  of 
  Orleans, 
  Monroe 
  and 
  Oswego 
  ; 
  also 
  from 
  Ca}'- 
  

   uga 
  and 
  Seneca 
  lakes. 
  

  

  The 
  Black 
  -back 
  is 
  chiefly 
  a 
  maritime 
  species. 
  It 
  is 
  ver}^ 
  noisy 
  in 
  its 
  

   breeding 
  haunts, 
  which 
  are 
  confined 
  to 
  the 
  shores 
  of 
  the 
  north 
  Atlantic. 
  

   All 
  observers 
  agree 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  wariest 
  birds 
  at 
  all 
  times 
  of 
  year. 
  

  

  