North American Birhs Er,r,s- 



:';3 



53. California Gull. Lanix cdliUiniinis. 



Range. — Western North America, breeding in the interior. 



.\ smaller (inll than tlie Herring with the primaries grayish instead o( Idaek ; 

 length twenty-Hve inches. This<;ull is found in winter on the coast from British 

 l^dnmbia southward to Lower California, l)Ut nests in the interior from I'tah 

 northward. They nest very aluuulantly around the Great Salt Lake, placing 



their nests generally upon 

 ^ _ .^^- i^ _ the bare grountl. Some- 



'\ ~_2^ .'_" -^.^.i.^. times there is a scant lining 



of grasses or weeds and again 

 the nests will be situated in 

 the midst of a tussock of 

 grass. Three or fcjur eggs 

 generally constitute a set, 

 but occasionally five are 

 laid. The usual nesting 

 time is during May. They 

 show the same great varia- 

 tions in color and markings 

 common to most of tlie 

 Gulls. Size '-'.HO ,x LHO. Data. 

 — Pyramid Lake, Nevada, 

 I\ray 26, LS98. Slight nest 

 of grasses on the rocks on 

 an island, ('(diector, R. 1>. 

 Wheeler. 



f<irayish brown. 



54. Ring-billed Gull. Idfiix ih'l(iif(irriisi.-<. 



Range. — Whole of North .\merica. breeding 

 ward and wintering south to the (iulf States. 



from the I'nited States nnrtli- 



^'V 



> 



'^, 

 .-^^.i 



'—'-^f 



A small (tuII, eighteen inches 

 in length, with a light gray 

 mantle, black primaries witii 

 white tips, and always to be dis- 

 tinguished in the breeding season 

 by the black band around the 

 midiUe of the greenish yellow 

 bill. Tliey nest in enormous 

 colonies on islands in the interior 

 of the country and in smaller 

 colonies on the coasts. Thous- 

 ands of them breed on the lakes 

 of the Dakotas anil northward. 

 The majm'ity of them nest on 

 the ground, although on the 

 coast they are often found on the 

 cliffs. They commonly lay three 

 eggs placing them in a slight 

 hollow in the ground, generally 

 on the grassy portions of the islands 

 marketl with brown antl lilac. The 



liiray.l 



. Thecolorvaries from grayish to brownish, 

 height of the nesting season is in June. 

 Size of eggs, 2.80 x 1.75. Data.— Larimore, N. Dakota, May 31, 1898. Three eggs. 

 Nest a hollow in the sand on an island, lined with a few grasses. Collector, T. 

 F. Eastgate. 



