30 WESTS AJTD EOGS OF 



Almost as large a species as the Glaucous Gull or Burgomaster. It breeds on the 

 islands of the Pacific coast from Washington Territory northward. The nests are 

 not always built on the shelving rocks of high cliffs. On the Aleutian Islands they 

 are found among the tall grass on the highest tarts of the islands, while others are 

 built on projections of rocks. Sometimes there is little or no attempt at nest- 

 making, the eggs being laid in a slight depression of the. ground. On Bering Sea and 

 Copper Islands, on the Kamtschatkan coast, this species breeds all around the 

 shores. Eggs have been found as early as the middle of May. These are said to be 

 of a more greenish tinge and the spots more numerous and better defined than in 

 those of glaucus. Size 2.88x2.03. According to Mr. Dall this is a very abundant 

 species throughout the Aleutian chain, but more numerous in the eastern half of 

 the group. Young birds nearly fledged were secured at Kyska in July. He states 

 that the habit of this and other species breeding on isolated rocks and small islands, 

 is accounted for by the immunity thus gained from the ravages of foxes on the eggs 

 and young. Rarely more than three eggs were found together, and were laid on al- 

 most any little depression of the ground, with little or no attempt at a lining. 



45 KXTMLIEN'S GULL. Larns kumlicni Brewst. Geog. Dist.— North At- 

 lantic coast of North America; south in winter to the coast of the Middle States. 



This new species of Gull, first described by Mr. William Brewster,* is like 

 (jlaiicesceris, but somewhat smaller. It is recorded as being quite common In the 

 upper Cumberland water, where it breeds, placing the nests on shelving rocks of 

 high cliffs. The eggs are said to be the same as those of glaiicescens. 



46. NBLSOWS GTTLL. Larus nelsoni Hensh, Geog. Dist. — Coast of Norton 

 Sound, Alaska. 



In a series of gulls collected by Mr. B. W. Nelson in Alaska Mr. H. W. Hen- 

 shaw found a specimen which differed decidedly, not only from any other taken by 

 Mr. Nelson, but from any in the National Museum. In recognition of Nelson's valu- 

 able services to Alaskan ornithology the bird has been dedicated to his honor by the 

 authority above stated. Ar. Henshaw states that its resemblance to several of the 

 larger gulls is likely to keep us in ignorance until it is made an object of special 

 attention by naturalists visiting Alaska. There is no reason to believe that its gen- 

 eral habits and eggs differ from those of the Glaucous-winged Gull. 



47. GE.EAT BLACK-BACKED GTTLL. Lams marinus (Linn.) Geog. Dist. — 

 Coasts of the North Atlantic ; sbuth in winter to Long Island and Italy. 



The large and powerful Black-backed Gull, or Saddle-back, inhabits the Atlantic 

 waters of Europe and North America. Breeds in great numbers on the coast of 

 Norway as far as North Cape. In various parts of the British Islands it is found 

 throughout the year, especially on the islands around the coasts of Scotland, where 

 it breeds in abundance. On the American coast it breeds from the Bay of Fundy 

 northward to Greenland. Years ago it was known to breed quite commonly on the 

 islands off the coast of Nova Scotia. In Labrador it is common everywhere. Mr. 

 M. Abbott Frazar found it breeding on the small islands, placing its nests generally 

 on some elevated spot. He seldom found more than a half dozen pairs breeding on 

 a single island. The nests were built of dry grasses, were very bulky and deeply 

 hollowed. He found no nest containing more than three eggs. During the breeding 

 season the birds feed largely upon the eggs of other birds, especially upon those of 



• Bull. Nutt. Club, Vol. VIII, p. 216. 



