58 
Allen’s naturalist’s library. 
February, 1848 ; another was shot on Loch Lomond by SirG. 
H. Leith Buchanan, in April, 1850; while in England four 
examples have been chronicled, from Falmouth and Penryn in 
January, 1865, one from Penzance in October, 1890, and one 
from St. Leonard’s in November, 1S70. 
Kange outside tlie British Islands. — Besides the above-mentioned 
occurrences of Bonaparte’s Gull in Great Britain, the species 
has been recorded once from Heligoland, but this is the only 
instance of its capture on the Continent of Europe. It is a 
strictly North American specie.s, breeding in the Fur countries, 
and migrating in winter on the east as far as Bermuda and 
Texas and to California on the west, passing south likewise by 
the inland lakes and rivers. 
Hahits. — Sir John Richardson states that this pretty little 
Gull arrives at its breeding places on Great Bear Lake very 
early in the season, and before the snow has disappeared. He 
says : “ The voice and mode of flying are like those of a Tern, 
and like those birds, it rushes fiercely at the head of anyone 
who intrudes on its haunts, screaming loudly. It has, moreover, 
the strange practice, considering the form of its feet, of 
perching on posts and trees, and it may often be seen standing 
gracefully on the summit of a small spruce fir.” Audubon 
describes how Bonaparte’s Gull folloivs the shoals of fishes, 
and Mr. E. W. Nelson found the species numerous in flocks on 
the 19th and 20th of September, along the tide channels near 
St. Michael’s, in Alaska. They were hovering in parties with 
many Short-billed Gulls, close to the surface of the water, and 
feeding upon the schools of sticklebacks. 
Nest. — Built, according to Sir John Richardson, in a colony, 
resembling a rookery, seven or eight in a tree, the nests being 
formed of sticks laid flatly. 
Eggfs. — Three in number, rarely four. Ground-colour olive- 
brown, or inclining to dark clay-brown, the spots somewhat 
reddish-brown, generally distributed over the egg, the under- 
lying spots being dusky-grey. Sometimes the large end of 
the egg is crowded with scribbling. Axis, i'75-2'i inches; 
diam., i'3-i'4. 
