Gulls 



ledges of rock barely scattered over with grass, moss, and sea- 

 weed to form a rude nest, or else directly on the sand in the midst 

 of a little heap of "drift" cast high up on the beach. Three or 

 four eggs, varying from buffy to grayish brown, and marked with 

 chocolate, are often taken from a nest by the natives, who, with 

 the jaegers and the sea eagles that also devour the young, are the 

 kittiwakes' worst enemies. Fearlessly breasting a gale on the open 

 ocean, sleeping with head under wing while riding the waves, 

 the gull is far more at home at sea than ashore, and soon leaves 

 the nest to begin its roving life at sea. 



Their service to man, aside from the gulls' aesthetic value, is in 

 devouring refuse that would otherwise wash ashore and pollute 

 the air. This is the gull that the jaegers, those dusky pirates of the 

 high seas, most persecute by taking away its fish and other 

 food to save themselves the trouble of hunting in the legitimate 

 way. 



Glaucous Gull 



(Larus glaucus) 



Called also: BURGOMASTER; ICE GULL 



Length — 28 to 32 inches. 



Male and Female — In summer : Mantle over wings and back, 

 light pearl gray ; all other parts pure white. Large, strong, 

 wide bill which is chrome yellow, with orange red spot at 

 the angle. Legs and feet pale pink or yellowish pink. 

 In winter: Light streaks of pale brownish gray on head and 

 back of neck ; otherwise plumage same as summer. Im- 

 mature birds are wholly white, with flesh-colored bills hav- 

 ing black tips. Females are smaller than males. 



Range — Northern and Arctic Oceans around the world ; in North 

 America from Long Island and the Great Lakes in winter, to 

 Labrador and northward in the nesting season. 



Season — Irregular winter visitor. 



This very large gull, whose protective coloring indicates that 

 the snow and ice of the circum-polar regions are its habitual 

 surroundings, occasionally struggles down our coasts and to the 

 Great Lakes in loose flocks in winter, but leaves none too good 

 a character behind it on its departure in the early spring. General 

 Greely met enormous numbers of burgomasters in the dreary 

 desolation of ice at the far north ; and Frederick Schwatka tells 



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