CATALOGUE OF CANADIAN BIRDS. 37 



Bering sea and all its dreary coast line are familiar to this great 

 gull. In summer it occurs from the Aleutian islands north to the 

 farthest points reached by the hardy navigators in the adjoining 

 Arctic ocean. Common in the Yukon delta. {Nelso?i.) This 

 gull is the earliest to arrive at St. Michael ; few breed here, but 

 on the Aleutian islands it breeds in thousands ; at Karluck, on 

 Kadiak island, it was in countless thousands in August, i8Si- 

 {Turner.) Abundant at Point Barrow. {Murdoch.) Abundant at 

 Cape Lisburne, Arctic sea. {Dr. Bean.) They do not breed on 

 the Pribilof islands, but in large numbers on Walrus island, about 

 six miles from St. Paul island, to which island they go to feed on 

 the dead carcases of seals, and from there they carry food to their 

 young on Walrus island. It is reported that they destroy the 

 young seal pups by picking out their eyes, but this is doubtful. 

 (/. M. Macoun) 



Breeding Notes. — This bird breeds on Walrus island where 

 there are no fox^es. It builds neat nests of sea-ferns and dry 

 grass placed among the turfy tussocks on the centre of the island- 

 It lays early in June three large eggs of a spherically oval shape, 

 which have a dark-greyish brown ground with irregular patches 

 of darker brown-black. {Elliott.) 



This gull nests in a tussock of grass that may grow in the mid- 

 dle of a pond in the lowlands, otherwise foxes might disturb it. 

 The nest is built of grass and other material. The eggs are 

 deposited early in June and are two or three in number. Should 

 the eggs be removed the parent will renew the complement, but 

 only one or two will belaid. The period of incubation is about 

 three weeks. The young are downy and pure white on their first 

 appearance, but soon change to gray with darker mottlings. 

 ( Turjier. ) 



On June 4th, near St. Michael, the first nest was found. It was 

 placed on a small islet, a few feet across, in the centre of a broad, 

 shallow pond. The structure was formed of a mass of moss and 

 grass, piled up a foot or more high, with a base three feet across, 

 and with a deep central depression lined with dry grass. There 

 was a single &gg. The female as she sat on the nest was visible a 

 mile away, and not the slightest opportunity was afforded for 

 concealment on the broad surrounding fiat. Other nests were of 



