156 THE- COMMON AMERICAN GULL. 



markings of the younger and older birds. I am equally sure that no indi- 

 viduals acquire the full beauty of their plumage before the third spring. 

 The young are at first of a dull greenish-yellow, spotted with dark brown 

 on the head and rump. In a very few days they leave the nest, ramble about 

 in its vicinity, waiting the arrival of their parents with food, and conceal 

 themselves under stones or in crevices at the appearance of danger. When 

 a few weeks old, they do not hesitate, on being pursued, to betake them- 

 selves to the water, where they swim with great lightness. When about the 

 size of pigeons, they assume a brownish colour, each feather being broadly 

 banded or tipped with light ferruginous and grey. At this season, the fisher- 

 men of Labrador and Newfoundland kill them in great numbers, and pack 

 them in salt for winter use. I was much surprised one morning while at 

 Labrador, to see one of the barges of the Gulnare come alongside of the 

 Ripley after a long cruize, when officers and men were glad to have a good 

 mess of these young Gulls in the bow of their boat, they having run short of 

 provisions. 



Larus cands, Mew or Common Gull, Rich, and Swains. F. Bor. Amer., vol. ii. p. 420. 

 Larus zonorhynchds, Ring-billed Mew- Gull, Ibid., p. 421. 

 Lards brachyrhynchus, Short-billed Mew-Gull, Ibid., p. 422. 

 Ring-billed Mew-Gull, Nutt. Man., voJ. ii. p. 300. 



Common American Gull, Larus zonorhynchus , Aud. Orn. Biog., vol. iii. p. 98; vol. v. 

 p. 638. 



Adult, 20, 48. 



Common during winter from Texas, along the coast, to Maine. Up the 

 Mississippi to Natchez. Breeds from Maine to Labrador, Hudson's Bay, 

 and Arctic shores. Columbia river. Migratory. 



Adult Male in summer plumage. 



Bill shorter than the head, robust, nearly straight, compressed. Upper 

 mandible with the dorsal line nearly straight at the base, arched and decli- 

 nate towards the end, the ridge convex, the sides slightly convex, the edges 

 sharp, inflected, arched, the tip rather obtuse. Nasal groove rather long and 

 narrow; nostrils in its fore part, lateral, longitudinal, linear, wider anteriorly, 

 open, and pervious. Lower mandible with a prominence at the end of the 

 angle, which is long and narrow, the dorsal line then nearly straight and 

 ascending, the sides convex, the edges sharp and inflected. 



Head rather large. Neck of moderate length. Body rather full. Wings 

 long. Feet of moderate length, rather slender; tibia bare below; tarsus 

 somewhat compressed, covered before and behind with numerous broad 

 scutella, the sides reticulated; hind toe very small and elevated, the fore toes 

 rather long and slender, the fourth longer than the second, the third longest, 



