The Pacific Kittiwake 
fifth; the first black on the outer web also; the fourth and fifth narrowly tipped with 
white; the black on the sixth appearing, if at all, as two rounded spots. Bill light 
yellow clouded with olivaceous; legs and feet blackish; the hind toe distinctly developed 
but minute; iris reddish brown; eye-ring red. Adult in winter: Similar, but sides of 
head and hind-neck overlaid with dark gray or plumbeous, and with plumbeous-slate 
around eye, most sharply in front. Immature: Terminal portion of tail, and exposed 
portion of primaries exhibited by folded wing black, the four outer primaries extensively 
white on inner webs, the color encroaching upon outer web and upon tip of the 5th, 
black vanishing with subterminal bar on 6th; a long black patch formed by bastard 
wing, lesser and median wing-coverts, and portion of secondaries; a broad cervical 
collar of black, and dabs of the same behind auriculars, sometimes continuous across 
fore-nape; some black smearing about eye. Bill black. Length of adult: 406.4-444.5 
(16.00-17.50); wing 304.8-330.2 (12.00-13.00); tail 121.9 (4.80); bill 34.3 (1.35); tarsus 
34.3 (1.35). 
Recognition Marks. —Crow size; blackish feet of adult; solid black of extreme 
wing tip; black less extensive than in Larus delawarensis. 
Nesting. —Does not breed in California. Nest: On ledges of rocky cliffs; of 
grass, moss, and seaweed. Eggs: 3; olive-buff (of varying tone, but averaging lighter 
than “normal gull type”), with spots and blotches of chocolate-brown and violet-gray. 
Av. size 57.4 x 40.9 (2.26 x 1.61). Season: June. 
Range of Rissa tridactyla. —Breeds along the coasts of Arctic and sub-Arctic 
regions south to the Aleutians and the Gulf of St. Lawrence and southern France. 
Winters from the southern portions of its breeding range south irregularly to the 
Canaries, Bermuda, and Lower California. 
Range of R. t. pollicaris. —Breeding on islands and shores of Bering Sea and 
adjacent portions of the Arctic and northern Pacific Oceans. Retires in winter to 
lower portions of breeding range or sparingly and irregularly to Japan and Lower 
California. 
Occurrence in California. —Not common and very irregular winter visitant 
along coast and in harbors. Sporadically abundant. Casual inland. 
Authorities.—Cooper ( Rissa kotzebuei), Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., vol. i\\, 1868, 
p. 10 (San Francisco Bay); Loomis, Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., ser. 2, vi., 1896, p. 21 (Mon¬ 
terey); Anthony, Auk, vol. xv., 1898, p. 267 (San Diego). 
THIS HARDY gull is one of the most abundant and best distributed 
of birds in Alaskan waters, but its winter recession is very irregular, and 
is doubtless determined altogether by special weather or food conditions 
in the North. The species has been described as common during certain 
winters as far south as Monterey, and is held to be a regular winter 
visitant in small numbers south to the Coronado Islands. Nevertheless, 
its occurrence south of Monterey is always worthy of remark, and through¬ 
out certain seasons it is all but wanting. I have seen it only once at 
Santa Barbara. 
Of their occurrence in Alaska Mr. E. W. Nelson says: “They 
pursue their prey in the same graceful manner as the terns, by hovering 
over the water and plunging down head-foremost. It is an extremely 
