﻿BIRDS 
  OF 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  1 
  35 
  

  

  Distribution. 
  Next 
  to 
  the 
  Herring 
  gull 
  this 
  is 
  the 
  best 
  known 
  and 
  

   most 
  generally 
  distributed 
  gull 
  in 
  the 
  State, 
  especially 
  in 
  the 
  interior. 
  It 
  

   occurs 
  as 
  a 
  transient 
  visitant 
  in 
  considerable 
  numbers 
  on 
  our 
  inland 
  lakes, 
  

   as 
  well 
  as 
  the 
  seacoast, 
  and 
  a 
  few 
  are 
  occasionally 
  seen 
  in 
  winter 
  on 
  Long 
  

   Island 
  and 
  the 
  Great 
  Lakes. 
  It 
  is 
  purely 
  an 
  American 
  species 
  and 
  breeds 
  

   in 
  high 
  latitudes. 
  

  

  Migration. 
  On 
  Long 
  Island 
  it 
  arrives 
  from 
  the 
  north 
  in 
  October 
  or 
  

   early 
  November 
  and 
  returns 
  to 
  the 
  north 
  in 
  April, 
  Mr 
  Butcher's 
  latest 
  

   date 
  being 
  May 
  4, 
  and 
  Dr 
  Braislin's, 
  May 
  11. 
  On 
  Lake 
  Ontario 
  and 
  other 
  

   inland 
  waters 
  it 
  usually 
  arrives 
  from 
  the 
  south 
  from 
  the 
  2d 
  to 
  the 
  15th 
  of 
  

   April, 
  leaves 
  for 
  the 
  north 
  from 
  the 
  20th 
  of 
  May 
  to 
  the 
  loth 
  of 
  June, 
  returns 
  

   from 
  the 
  north 
  October 
  ist 
  to 
  20th 
  and 
  departs 
  for 
  the 
  south 
  from 
  the 
  

   ist 
  to 
  the 
  20th 
  of 
  November. 
  

  

  Habits. 
  This 
  little 
  gull 
  is 
  more 
  often 
  found 
  in 
  flocks 
  than 
  our 
  other 
  

   species 
  and 
  is 
  frequently 
  seen 
  flying 
  over 
  swamps 
  and 
  plowed 
  fields, 
  search- 
  

   ing 
  for 
  worms 
  and 
  insects; 
  but 
  is 
  usually 
  met 
  with 
  on 
  the 
  lakes 
  and 
  rivers 
  

   hunting 
  its 
  food 
  like 
  the 
  Herring 
  gull. 
  It 
  is 
  far 
  less 
  wary 
  than 
  that 
  species. 
  

  

  Larus 
  minutus 
  Pallas 
  

  

  Little 
  Gull 
  

  

  Larus 
  minutus 
  Pallas. 
  Reisen 
  Russ. 
  Reichs. 
  1771. 
  Apx. 
  35. 
  3:702 
  

  

  A. 
  O. 
  U. 
  Check 
  List. 
  Ed. 
  2. 
  1895. 
  No. 
  [60.1] 
  

  

  niinu'tus, 
  Lat., 
  very 
  small 
  

  

  Distinctive 
  marks. 
  The 
  very 
  small 
  size 
  of 
  this 
  gull, 
  the 
  smallest 
  of 
  

   its 
  race, 
  will 
  distinguish 
  it. 
  The 
  mature 
  bird 
  has 
  a 
  black 
  head, 
  pale 
  mantle, 
  

   lake-red 
  bill, 
  vermilion 
  feet, 
  and 
  no 
  black 
  on 
  the 
  primaries. 
  The 
  young 
  

   are 
  extensively 
  dark 
  brown 
  above; 
  the 
  primaries 
  brownish 
  black 
  in 
  the 
  

   center, 
  edged 
  and 
  tipped 
  with 
  white 
  ; 
  tail 
  has 
  a 
  broad 
  black 
  band. 
  

  

  Length 
  10. 
  4-1 
  1.5 
  inches; 
  wing 
  8. 
  7-9; 
  tail 
  4; 
  bill 
  .9-1; 
  tarsus 
  i; 
  middle 
  

   toe 
  and 
  claw 
  i. 
  

  

  This 
  old 
  world 
  species 
  is 
  very 
  rare 
  in 
  North 
  America. 
  Besides 
  the 
  

   doubtful 
  record 
  by 
  Swainson 
  and 
  Richardson, 
  and 
  one 
  from 
  the 
  Bermudas, 
  

   there 
  are 
  only 
  two 
  specimens 
  from 
  this 
  country, 
  both 
  taken 
  on 
  Long 
  Island 
  ; 
  

   the 
  first 
  an 
  immature 
  specimen 
  shot 
  at 
  Fire 
  Island, 
  Suffolk 
  co., 
  N. 
  Y., 
  

  

  