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The juvenile Gulls are more difficult to distinguish and it will sometimes take the 
nicest discrimination to do so. The Herring Gull of the year is the darkest and most 
evenly sooty of any of the young Gulls it is likely to be confused with. The Western 
resembles it closely in colour, but is of a bluer cast, and is less even in tone. The Glaucous- 
winged is appreciably lighter, the darkest shade being mouse-coloured instead of nearly 
black. The California is considerably lighter, with more white mixed in above and below. 
The Ring-billed is still lighter, being more white than dark below, and shows indications 
of the pearly mantle even during the first autumn, and has a broad, suffused, dark terminal 
band instead of an all-dark tail. Between the dark, juvenile Herring Gull with brown 
legs and bill and nearly black tail and wings and the light-coloured adult with flesh col- 
oured legs, red-spotted yellow bill, and black wing tips there is every gradation and it is 
only by careful attention to details that some of them can be separated. There is great 
individual and sex variation in size, and care must be taken in comparing this character 
that due allowance is made for these sources of confusion. The following schedule of 
eharacters of the Herring Gull may assist in the separation of these birds. Compare 
with similar schedule under other species. Large Gull about 24 inches. 
Evenly very dark; tail evenly dark; bill dark with flesh-coloured 
base, feet brownish or flesh First autumn 
Light; slightly clouded with dark; tail clouded near end; bill 
yellowish, with partial or complete ring; feet flesh Immature 
Light; tail white; bill yellow with red spot; feet flesh. Eyelids 
and gape in western birds not coloured Adult 
Field Marks. Size and general colour. Similar to the Glaucous-winged and larger than 
the California or Ring-billed. The bill and feet colorations are often seen plainly enough 
for diagnosis. The very dark coloration of the juvenile of the year makes it easily dis- 
tinguishable from the California or the Ring-billed and the lack of a sharply-defined tail 
band distinguishes it from any plumage of the latter. 
Nesting. On the ground, on rocky ledges or the flat tops of isolated rocks, in nests 
of seaweed or vegetable matter. 
Distribution. Across the continent, generally breeding north of our southern areas. 
Common on almost all the larger bodies of water, fresh or salt, at various seasons. 
Numbers of non-breeding birds summer far south of their nesting grounds. Common in 
winter on the west coast and occasionally so in summer, but we know of no regular breeding 
grounds in the immediate vicinity of the Pacific coast. In the central provinces the 
species breeds probably from the Arctics south to the edges of the prairies, though along 
the latter line the distribution is not well defined, for, in many cases, it has been confused 
in breeding season with the California Gull. 
SUBSPECIES. A form, Thayer's Gull Larus thayeri, has been described from the 
eastern Arctics. It has been traced across the northern coast and down the Pacific shores 
of British Columbia where it occurs with more normally coloured types. It is doubtless 
only worthy of subspecific recognition. The breeding distribution of these two forms 
requires further investigation. 
The Herring Gull is the large Gull of the interior and is common on 
the coast. It is a great wanderer and is often seen on the smallest of our 
lakes, even at a considerable distance from its nesting grounds. The 
Gulls that remain south of their normal nesting grounds through the 
summer are immatures or non-breeding birds. In winter the species 
remains upon the larger waters until they are frozen over and often through- 
out the entire season, beating over the open water or perched on the floating 
ice. The Gulls haunt harbours and congregate in large numbers about 
sewer outlets for the floating offal. They have also learned that ships 
are abundant providers of toothsome scraps. Fishing stations have 
great attractions for them and there is almost certain to be a large flock in 
attendance about the cleaning tables on the shore. At the seashore, 
shell-fish are eagerly sought for at low tide and the Gulls have learned 
the trick of carrying their hard-shelled prey into the air and dropping it 
upon tne rocks, after which they descend and extract the savoury morsels 
from the broken case. In rough weather they congregate about foamy 
