LABiDai. BIRDS. — — LARroa:. cov 
JAGER; THE POMARINE JAGER [Stercorarms 
pomatorMnus) . — Inhabits tlie seas and sea-coasts of 
l<hirope, America and Asia, and is also found in tlie 
interior of North America. It is called also the 
(jIull-Hunter. 'I’he female has a length of twenty 
and a quarter inches, and an extent of wing of forty- 
eight inches. Its eggs are two or three in number, 
and of a grayish-olive, marked with blackish spots. 
THE PARASITIC JAGER [S. parasiticus) own\ 
in the North Atlantic and on the sea-coast of Eu- 
rope and America, and in the interior of Arctic 
America. It has the reputation of being a constant 
terror of the smaller Gulls. Few birds surpass it in 
power and length of flight. It generally passes 
through the air at a height of fifty or sixty yards, 
flying in an easy manner, ranging over the broad 
bays, on which Gulls of various kinds are engaged 
in procuring their food. As soon as he observes 
that a Gull has secured a fish, he gives chase. 'I'lie 
superior powers of the Jager soon prevail, and the 
Gull disgorges. After a short respite, while he dis- 
poses of his stolen meal, he looks about him for more 
game, and sallies forth to renew the robbery. When 
on wing, the beautiful long tail-feathers seem to offer 
this bird a ready means of turning quickly. It is 
usually seen singly, or at most, in pairs; but Audu- 
bon says: “I observed it on the Florida Keys in 
flocks of ten to fifteen, congregated as if for the pur- 
pose of returning to the northern regions, where it is 
said to breed in groups. It breeds in several of the 
Orkney Islands, and is gregarious during tliat period ; 
and the situations selected for breeding are the un- 
frequented heaths, some distance from the shore. At 
this time it is very courageous, and attacks every in- 
truder by pouncing upon him, and striking with the 
bill and wings.” 
BUFFON’S JAGER {S. Called also the 
Long-tailed Jager. Inhabits the coasts of North 
America and Eurojie, mostly in high latitudes, and 
is found in the interior of Arctic America. 
RICHARDSON’S JAGER [S. richardsoni). — -This is 
a rare liird on the coast of the United States below 
Massachusetts. It is shy, and difficult to approach. 
Its flight is extremely rapid, and, like other species, 
it harasses the small Gulls. It breeds in the northern 
grounds, away from the coast. Its length, from bill 
to end of tail, eighteen and a half inches ; extent of 
wing, forty inches. 'I’his Jager has a bill of grayish- 
black, the upper portion bluish ; iris is brown. 
BURGOMASTER GULL [Larus glaucus). — - Called 
also the Glaucous Gull. It is found in the North- 
ern and Arctic seas, is circumpolar in its range, and 
reaches in winter as far south as Long Island. 'I’he 
Burgomaster is one of the largest of our Gulls. Dr. 
Richardson says : “ 'J’his large and powerful Gull is 
considered rare in the United States. It is notori- 
ously greedy, feeding not only on fish and small birds, 
but on carrion of every kind. One specimen, cap- 
tured by Capt. Ross, disgorged an Auk, and proved, 
on dissection, to have another in its stomach.” It is 
rather a shy and inactive bird, and has little of the 
clamorousness of other species. 'I'hey vary greatly 
in size, and on that account are sometimes confounded 
with the L. marinus. 'I'he eggs are a pale pui'plish- 
gray, with scattered spots of umber-brown and sub- 
dued lavender-purple. 'I’he adult is thirty inches in 
length ; the wing, nineteen and a half inches. 
WHITE-WINGED GULL [L. leucopterus). — 
species has the same range of habitat as the preced- 
ing. It is a perfect counterpart of the same, and 
cannot readily be distinguished except by the size, 
being greatly inferior. 'I’here is also a difference in 
proportion. It is called by some authors the Silvery 
Gull (L. argentatus). Its length is twenty-four 
inches ; wing, 16.75. 
GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL (L. glaucescens) has a 
habitat on the Pacific Coast of North America. 
'I'he color is much like that of the latter. 'I’he 
length is twenty-seven inches; wing, 16.75. 
GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL (Z. marinus).— 
Found on the Atlantic Coast, as far south as Long 
Island in winter, and, according to Audubon, to Flor- 
ida. It is excessively shy and vigilant, and is extreme- 
ly voracious, devouring all kinds of carrion, and even 
young birds and eggs. It will follow shoals of fishes 
for hours. “ On the coast of Labrador,” says Audu- 
bon, “I frequently saw these birds seize flounders on 
the edges of the shallows. They often attempted 
to swallow them whole, but, finding this impractica- 
ble, removed to some rock, beat them and tore them 
to pieces. 'I’liis, or some large species, is known to 
drop shell-fish from a height, with the purpose of 
breaking the shell. While at Boston I saw one of 
these birds take up an eel about eighteen inches in 
length, and, rising with some difficulty, managed to 
gulp it headforemost, and fly to the neighboring 
shore, when a White-headed Eagle made its appear- 
ance, and soon overtook the Gull, which reluctantly 
gave up the eel. 'I’he Eagle seized it in his talons 
before it reached the water, and liore it off.” 
HERRING GULL (Z. argentatus) has a habitat along 
the whole of the Atlantic Coast, and breeds from the 
Bay of Fundy to Melville Island. An English gentle- 
man, who owned an island in the Bay of Fundy, and 
resided there, told Audubon that he remembered when 
the Gulls laid on the ground, and that the habit of 
building among the trees had been acqniied since 
his sons had disturbed them in gathering the eggs. 
'I’liere were a few young that still built their nests on 
the flats. 'I’he Herring Gull has a greater range of 
migration than any other American species. ’I’he 
male is twenty-three inches in length ; extent of 
wings, fifty-three inches. 
CALIFORNIAN GULL (Z. californicus). — Found on 
the Pacific Coast of North America and the interior 
of Arctic America, on the great lakes. Its length 
is twenty inches ; wing, sixteen. 
RING-BILLED GULL (Z. delatearensis) is not men- 
tioned by the earlier American authors. Its range 
is through the North American continent gen- 
erally, throughout the interior as well as coastwise. 
” 'I’he Ring-billed Gull is more genernlly distributed 
throughout the interior than the Herring Gull, oc- 
curring on the larger waters of the Missouri region, 
and elsewhere. It migrates through the interior, up 
the Missouri, as well as along the coast.” — Coues. 
