The Western Gulls 



Taken in Santa Barbara 



Photo by the A uthor 



HIS RASCALITY. THE WESTERN GULL 



urements: length of adult 558.8-685.8 (22.00-27.00); av. of 10 Monterey specimens: 

 length 580.4 (22.85); wing 420 (16.5); tail 162.4 (6.39); bill 53.3 (2.10); depth at angle 

 20.2 (.79); depth at nostril (base) 18.4 (.72); tarsus 69.5 (2.74). 



Recognition Marks. — Standard of "gull size"; dark slaty blue of mantle 

 distinctive in adult; adolescent black spot on angle of gonys less persistent than in 

 other species; pattern of wing-tip simpler than in many, but not affording good field 

 mark; uniform black of primaries long persistent, and best character of young birds, 

 as distinguished from either L. glancescens or L. argentatus; body plumage of young 

 darkest. 



Nesting. — Nest: Placed on ground or in rock niche of sea-girt islet; bulky or 

 scanty; a shallow crater of grasses, dried sea wrack, seaweed, or locally, of "Farallon 

 weed," a coarse composite; ten inches from brim to brim by three inches deep. Eggs: 



1378 



