A very similar appearing but somewiet smaller species, the ring- 
bilied sull, can be surely identified in. the field by the novice only by 
the black crossber near the tip of the bill. 
The laughing gull and Boneparte's gull are common representatives 
of another 
group--the black-headed gulls. Adults in breeding plumage are 
easily recognized; but in winter the black on the head mostly disappears, 
and the young do not attain the full breeding plumege until the second 
soving after the yesr in which they were hatched. In this group the 
laughing zull. is a little larger, with the back and wings leaden gray; 
the Bonaparte's sull a little smaller, with the back and wings pearl gray, 
ene tiic Dil] more slender. The lavghing gull breeds along the whole coast 
ne and winters from the Carolines south, while the Bonaparte's gull 
ecds in the northern interior part of the continent, and winters from 
Ss 
io] 
a — 
Sachusetts souvnward. 
lai 5 : : . + 
Gulls along the coast in winter feed on almost any available thing, 
nence figure largely as scavengers. rou take insects, however, as well 
as mollusks, crustaceans, and fishes. rarely dive so are not well 
4 
r 
( 
adepted to catchi ng live fishes. On ne Maine coast herring gulls increas— 
ed so much that they became objectionably destructive to eggs of other birds 
and to fishes, clams, and blueberries, snd steps have been taken to control 
their numbers. 
Terns have the bill more slender and pointed, as compared witn the 
stout bill with downcurved tip of the comnon gulls, and on the wing they 
point the bill more divectly downward. Expert as gulls are in flight, they 
are surpassed in this respect by-terns, which on account of this skill are 
commonly called sea swallows. All the terns ypen adult have the top of the 
mead Dlack and even in immature plum: . broad dark line from the 
fe have 
eye Oack around the nape TRS we eOwan Feet el ere more or less elongated 
QS) my 
eit 
SO aS to form a slight crest posteriorly. 1e birds are mostly pearl gray 
in color and have the tail more or less deeply forked. 
The least tern, less than 10 inches long, is the only tern that 
summer oas a der of white on the aie as in front of the vlack cap. It 
breeds on islands and beaches from Massachusetts south and winters from the 
Gulf coast southwerd, Terus 14 to 16 inches in length incivde the common 
tern and Forster's tern, too near alike for field identification. Both oc=- 
evr along the coast in migration. The comuon tern breeds in New England, 
sud botn winter from the South Atlantic coast southward. 
Similar appearance. 
os as asi 
he Gaspian. Both 
es breed north to 
ation to and from 
e Caspian ard vovyal terns are another pair or 
Inrger birds, about the size of crows, witn = 
the royal having the tail about twice as deeply forked as 
: ec South Atlantic coast in winter, and bo 
2 ian tern is seen farther north in migr 
breeding Zrounds in the northern interior. 
Tie black tern, easily recognizable by its generally sooty color, is 
er rere migrant on ne Atlantic coast. It breeds chiefly inland. 
~le- 
