GUIylrS AND TERNS OF NEW ENGEAND. 167 
The tail has twelve feathers. It is nearly square in gulls, 
but in terns it is forked, sometimes very deeply. The 
legs are strong, and the anterior toes fully webbed. The 
whole structure is admirably adapted to make the bird 
equally at home on the surface of the water or in the air 
above it. The species differ considerably as to size, but 
are quite similar in plumage—white, gray, slate and black 
predominating, several species adding a rosy hue to their 
white breasts in the breeding season. The two sexes are 
always alike in appearance. As a rule, though there are 
several exceptions, the gulls of North America prefer a 
more northern latitude than the terns, one family taking 
possession where the other leaves off. The Taughing 
Gull is the only one that breeds chiefly south of our New 
England coast, and the Arctic the only tern that prefers 
the cold northern climate. 
I shall first describe the species that one might see on 
our coasts, and afterwards go on to the general character¬ 
istics of the family. 
The gulls of eastern North America may be roughly 
separated into three groups, as regards breeding plumage. 
One type white and pearl gray, with no dark markings ; 
another showing dark markings on the wings, but not on 
the head ; the third, birds having dark-colored heads. 
It will be best to begin with old friends, and first speak 
of the class of gulls with more or less black markings on 
their wings. The Herring Gull is the member of the fam¬ 
ily that inland dwellers in New Hampshire are most likely 
to see. Although commonest near salt water, he by no 
means restricts himself to a sea life. Targe lakes and 
rivers inland are good cruising grounds for him. He oc¬ 
casionally visits Take Massabesic. A year ago last Decem¬ 
ber I saw one flying over the ice in the river near Martin’s 
Ferry, and in January several remained, for a time, below 
Goffs Falls where the swift current kept the ice from form- 
