BIRDS OF PENNSYLVANIA. 
15 
“ Young . — The upper plumage mottled with blackish-brown and gray ; beneath 
grayish-white, with light-brown spots; primaries black; tail, white, with a sub- 
terminal black band ; bill black with yellow base.” — Baird's Birds of N. A. 
Habitat . — North America at large ; south in winter to Cuba and Mexico. 
This species occurs in Pennsylvania during the spring and fall migra- 
tions, but is not common. Specimens have been taken on the Dela- 
ware, Susquehanna, Allegheny and Ohio rivers in this state, and also at 
Lake Erie, near the city of Erie. Unlike most of its relatives, this Gull 
breeds in many sections of the United States, as well as far northward. 
This is one of the common Gulls to be seen, in winter, on the Atlantic 
coast from New Jersey southward. 
Larus atricilla Linn. 
Laughing Gull. 
Description. 
Adult, in breeding plmnage. — Head and upper part of neck dark slate color, dark- 
est about occiput and on neck, and lightest about base of bill ; the dark color ex- 
tends about one inch or more farther down front of neck than on the back of same ; 
white spot on both upper and lower eyelids ; neck all round, breast, abdomen, sides, 
lining of wings, upper and lower tail coverts, rump and tail pure white ; the breast 
and abdomen in recently-killed specimens have a beautiful rosy tinge ; mantle dark 
lead color ; first five primaries black, which decreases from first to fifth. In speci- 
men before me all the primaries but first and second are tipj)ed with white ; the sec- 
ondaries and tertiaries have broad white tips ; bill (dried specimen) dark carmine 
and somewhat yellow at base ; tarsi yellowish-red ; iris bluish-black. 
Adult, in winter . — Head and neck white, with sides and occiput spotted with 
brownish-gray. 
Young. — Head, neck all round and upper parts brownish-gray, darkest at base of 
head ; mandible similar color but darker ; throat and under parts grayish or dull 
white. Length about 16| inches ; extent about 40 inches. 
Habitat. — Eastern, tropical and warm-temperate America, chiefly along the sea- 
coast from Maine to Brazil ; Pacific coast of middle America. 
The Laughing Gull is so named because its notes resemble a loud 
burst of laughter. In this state the bird is found only as a migrant. 
In the spring individuals of this species frequently ascend the Susque- 
hanna river as far as Harrisburg ; they also sometimes come up the 
Delaware river to Philadelphia, and occasionally are observed on other 
of our larger streams in the eastern part of the state. In the autumn 
the Laughing Gull is rarely, I think, to be found in Pennsylvania. The 
Black-headed Gull, as this species is sometimes called, is not found on 
the Pacific coast of the United States, but is quite common on the At- 
lantic side, especially from New Jersey southward. The nest — built on 
the ground — is composed of sea-weed, grass or other vegetable mate- 
rials. The eggs, two or three in number, measure about 2.20 inches in 
length by about 1.58 inches in width ; they vary considerably, but usu- 
ally the ground color is grayish or brownish-olive, spotted and blotched 
with different shades of dull reddish-brown and black or purplish ; the 
markings are often more abundant about the larger end. The eggs of 
