24 
GULLS AND TERNS 
Mr. Grinnell reports the ring-hilled gull as tolerably common along 
the coast in midwinter, and Mr. Loomis has taken a few at Monterey. 
In Colorado they are the only gulls found abundantly throughout 
the state. Professor Cooke says they are very common in the fall 
migration on all bodies of water below 9000 feet, and lie has found 
them breeding at the San Luis Lakes at an altitude of 7500 feet. 
Colonel Goss says that he has often seen the gulls on fall after¬ 
noons sailing and circling about in the air, catching grasshoppers and 
beetles. 
55. Larus brachyrhynchus Rich. Short-billed Gull. 
Adults in summer. — Mantle light pearl gray; rest of plumage, except 
quills, white ; outer primary mainly black, with a large white spot near 
end; second primary with a smaller white spot, white tip, and wedge of 
gray on inner web; third with white tip and a large white space on inner 
web between gray and black; bill greenish, with yellow tip; feet and legs 
greenish. Adults in winter: head, neck, and chest mottled with dusky. 
Young: upper parts grayish brown, feathers bordered with pale grayish 
buff; head, neck, and lower parts brownish gray; tail gray at base, 
brownish gray toward end, and narrowly tipped with white. Length: 
16.50-18.00, wing 13.95, bill 1.45, depth of bill at angle .40-.50. 
Distribution. — Western North America, breeding far north; south in 
winter to southern California. 
Nest. — On an islet, in a lake or pond, bulky, made of grasses and 
mosses. Eggs: 2 or 3. 
Mr. Loomis has found the short-billed gull common on both the 
bay and ocean about Point Pinos in winter. 
56. Larus canus Linn. Mew Gull. 
Adults. — Similar in general appearance to brachyrhynchus , but with inner 
webs of two outer quills mainly black behind the subterminal white spots, 
and third quill mainly black except for small white tip. Length: 17.00- 
18.50, wing 14.00-14.50, bill 1.35-1.60, depth of bill at angle .38-.50. 
Distribution. — Northern Europe and Asia ; found in Labrador (?) and at 
San Francisco Bay. 
The mew gull was formerly supposed to be confined almost 
entirely to Europe and Asia, but Mr. Loomis finds that it is common 
on the California coast in winter. 
57. Larus heermanni Cass. Heermann Gull. 
Adults in summer. — Bill bright red; head and upper neck white ; back 
sooty gray 1 * 
Fig. 42. 
* „ -, secondaries 
tipped with white ; prima¬ 
ries and tail black, tail 
tipped with white; under 
parts dark gray. Adults in 
winter: head darker than 
body, otherwise as in summer. Young: sooty gray, feathers of upper 
parts bordered with whitish or pale buff; or, entire plumage sooty gray 
except blackish tail and quills. Length : 17.50-21.00, wing 13.50, bill 1.50. 
