34 WATER BIRDS 



49. WESTERN GULL. — Larus occidentalis. 

 Family : The Gulls and Terns. 



Length : 25. 50. 



Adults in Summer : Head, neck, lower parts, rump, and tail white ; 

 mantle dark slaty gray ; wing-quills black, with large spots of white. 

 Angle of lower mandible veiy conspicuous ; depth of bill through 

 mandible greater than at base. 



Adults in Winter : Plumage similar to that of summer, except that top 

 of head and nape are streaked with dark gray-brown. 



Young : Upper parts brownish gray mottled with white ; quills and tail- 

 feathers black, tipped with white ; under parts grayish ; sides mot- 

 tled with white. 



Downy Young : Ashy white ; head mottled with distinct black patches ; 

 upper parts more or less mottled with dark ash. 



Geographical Distribution : Pacific coast of North America from Lower 

 California to British Columbia. 



Breeding Range : From Coronado Islands to" British Columbia ; at Santa 

 Catalina, Santa Barbara, and San Clementi. 



Breeding Season : Approximately, May 1 to August 1. 



Nest : Of weeds ; on rocky ledges. 



Eggs : 2 to 3 ; light olive, spotted with umber. Size 2.76 X 1-94. 



Most conspicuous because everywhere present, most 

 interesting because of his very wickedness, is the variety 

 of gull found on the Farallones, and everywhere on the 

 California coast. He is known as Larus occidentalis, 

 and is the only species that breeds on those islands. 

 The pretty herring gulls of our harbors are quite differ- 

 ent in habit from this voracious plunderer. 



Larus occidentalis is a degenerate. Too lazy to fish 

 for himself, he steals from whomsoever he can. If the 

 victim be a diving bird who has come to the surface 

 with a struggling fish in his beak, the Western Gull will 

 hover over him, compelling him to dive again and again, 

 until, exhausted, he abandons the food he has had no 



