CATALOGUE OF CANADIAN BIRDS. 43 



Breeding Notes. — At the Yukon mouth and St. Michael 

 May 14th is the earliest date they were noticed in spring. As a 

 rule they are rare until the 20th or 25th May, about which time 

 they find the ponds and sluggish streams open in the coast 

 country. They undoubtedly reach interior localities earlier in 

 the season, as spring is considerably earlier there. 



They nest, like the Glaucous Gull, upon small islets in ponds 

 and lakes. A bulky nest is prepared of grasses and mosses early 

 in June, in which two or three eggs are laid. (^Nelson.) 



The nest of this species is usually a small cavity in the sand 

 by the side of a stream or sheet of water. It also frequently 

 builds on a stump or tree, and in such cases dry twigs, hay and 

 mosses are used in its construction. A good many sets of eggs 

 were taken at Fort Anderson, lat. 68° 30'. {Macfarlane.) 



MUSEUM SPECIMENS. 



A fine pair taken in Victoria harbour in January, 1896, by Mr. 

 John Fannin. 



56. Mew Gull. 



Lotus canus Linn. 1758. 

 Accidental in Labrador. (A. 0. U. List.) 



—57. Heermann's Gull. White-headed Gull. 



Lotus luermanni Cass. 1852. 



Found in the Gulf of Georgia and along the coasts of Vancouver, 

 island. {Lord.) Not common in the Gulf of Georgia, though 

 they appear to remain during the summer. Four specimens, the 

 young of the year, were taken off the mouth of Esquimault Har- 

 bour in the latter part of July by Dr. Hazell, of Victoria. (Fan- 

 fdn.) 



MUSEUM SPECIMENS. 



One taken in 1885 on Malcolm Island, Gulf of Georgia, B.C. 

 by Dr. G. M. Dawson ; a fine pair taken at Esquimault in January, 

 1896, by Mr. John Fannin. 



M^^^. Laughing Gull. 



Lotus otricilla Linn. 1758. 



On May 23rd, 1890, a gull was brought to my store. It had 

 been shot on Toronto Island, and, being unlike any of our native 



