BIRDS FOUND NEAR SHORE OR IN BAYS 41 



as do swallows. In some localities it has been seen feed- 

 ing among the freshly turned furrows of a ploughed field. 

 There is reason to believe that, unlike some members of 

 its family, it never robs other birds either of food, eggs, 

 or young, but is content with the small fish and insects 

 it can pick, up on inland marshes and meadows. 



57. HEERMANN GULL. — Lams heermanni. 



Family : The Gulls and Terns. 



Length: 18.75. 



Adults in Summer : Upper parts dark slate-color ; head and neck white ; 



under parts dusky gray; wings and tail black, the latter tipped with 



white ; bill scarlet. 

 Adults in Winter : Similar, but head very dark, nearly black. 

 Bowny Young : Dark ash-color, the feathers of upper parts edged with . 



buffy ; head mottled. 

 Immature (Second Year f) : Entire plumage uniform dark ash ; tail black. 

 Geographical Distribution : Pacific coast of North America from British 



Columbia south to Panama. 

 Breeding Range : From Coronado Islands northward ; does not breed at 



the Faralloues. 

 Breeding Season: Approximately, May 20 to August 1. 

 Nest : On ground near water, or on cliffs ; scantily lined with coarse 



grass or moss. 

 Eggs: 2 to 3 ; greenish gray, marked with lilac and brown. Size 2.45 X 



1.50. 



The Heermann Gull may be readily distinguished 

 from any other species by its darker plumage. It is a 

 curious sight to see these handsome birds at San Diego 

 Bay and La JoUa following an unlucky pelican who has 

 a fine pouchful of fish. They fly over and around him, 

 darting down to peck at him with their bills until he is 

 forced to disgorge his catch. The dignified and methodi- 

 cal pelican is no match for these swift flyers, and soon 

 yields to the inevitable. I have seen the same pelican 



