The Western Gulls 



3, rarely 4; if second set, 2. Normal Gull type (applicable as a basis for description of 

 all species nesting within the United States): ovate or elongate ovate; ground-color 

 (light phase): pale olive-buff or olive-buff, more rarely cartridge-buff, tilleul buff, or 

 pinkish buff; (middle phase): deep to dark olive-buff: (dark phase), light brownish olive 

 to buffy olive, tawny olive, isabella color, or, rarely, buffy brown. Pigmentation (of 

 four general types) : first, boldly and rather sparingly spotted with brownish black or 

 dark sepia (washing to Saccardo's umber), or bister (washing to Prout's brown), or light 

 brownish olive (washing to isabella color), exceptionally, tawny olive or brownish olive 

 (washing to buffy olive), yellowish olive or cinnamon-buff; second, as first type, with 

 much doubling or "shadowing" (under-shell marking) by violet-gray of various shades; 

 third, color of pigments as before, but pattern highly diverse, vermiculated or scrawled, 

 scrawling sometimes confined to a broad girdle around the larger end, but often involv- 



Taken on the Southeast Farallon 



AN EXPOSED DOMICILE 



Photo by the Author 



ing the entire egg in intricate patterns; fourth, pattern more or less suppressed or 

 blended. Abnormally, pigment sometimes altogether wanting, and sometimes abso- 

 lutely confined to cap on larger end. In general: eggs clay- or stone-colored, spotted and 

 blotched with brownish black. As compared with the foregoing, eggs of the Western 

 Gull incline to middle and darker grounds, and exhibit a high degree of variation. Av. 

 of 40 specimens in the M. C. O. coll. : 69.9 x 49.3 (2.756 x 1.944) ! index 70.5. Range of 

 measurements: 66.3-75.7 by 45- 2_ 5 2 -3 (2.61-2.98 by 1.78-2.06). Season: March- 

 June, according to latitude (July-August where molested); one brood. 



General Range. — Pacific Coast of North America, breeding from Lower Cali- 

 fornia north to the coast of Washington (Willoughby Rock, Carroll Islet) ; at the close 

 of the breeding season wandering north to the coasts of British Columbia, and southward 

 to the Tres Marias Islands off Tepic. 



Distribution in California. — Resident; breeds abundantly on suitable islets 



1379 



