20 Birds of Colorado 
only record is that of W. G. Smith who took it at Loveland, on May 
6th, while Anthony examined one in Denver, stated to have been 
killed near by. Felger reports that Miss Patten noticed this Gull, 
May 8th,1905, near Yuma, and Hersey (09) saw one at Barr, October 
17th, 1907. 
Habits—This beautiful Gull, called by the farmers 
on the plains of eastern Kansas the ‘Prairie Pigeon” 
or ‘‘ Prairie Dove,” is frequently found far from water 
on arable lands in the spring, following the plough and 
picking up worms and insects, while in the autumn 
it destroys immense numbers of grasshoppers. In Utah, 
Mr. Bailey tells us that Brigham Young used to offer 
up prayers that they should be sent to destroy the locusts 
and destructive insects. It seems strange that it should 
have been so seldom noticed in Colorado. 
The nest is placed on the ground, on islands among 
lakes and rivers or often in marshes and sloughs, and 
is made chiefly of rushes and grasses. They breed in 
large communities. The eggs, usually three, vary a 
good deal, but are generally olive-green to drab, 
splashed with bold markings of sepia. They measure 
about 2:1 x 1°44. 
Bonaparte’s Gull. Larus philadelphia. 
A.O.U. Checklist no 60—Colorado Records—Ridgway 79, p. 232; 
Morrison 89, p. 147; Cooke 94, p.182; 97, pp. 51, 155, 193; H. G. Smith 
96, p. 48. 
Description.— Adult in summer—Head all round slaty-black ; a white 
ring round the eye broken in front ; mantle pearl-grey, rest of plumage 
white, washed with rosy below; outer primary white with the outer 
web and tip black, the next five white, tipped with black; iris dark 
brown ; eyelids red, bill black, legs red. Length 13; wing 10-0; tail 
3°6; culmen 1:0; tarsus 1:25. 
In winter the head is white tinged with grey behind, and there is 
a dusky spot on the ear-coverts and in front of the eye ; the bill is lighter 
coloured at the base of the lower mandible and the feet flesh. 
Young birds in the first winter are like the winter birds but 
have a patch of dusky on the wing-coverts and black on the outer 
