LONG-WINGED SWIMMERS. Order II. LONGIPENNESSKUA AND JAEGERS. Family STERCORARIIDAE

LONG-WINGED SWIMMERS. Order II. LONGIPENNESSKUA AND JAEGERS. Family STERCORARIIDAESkuas and Jægers are birds having a Gull or Tern-like form and with a hooked bill, the base of which is covered with a scaly shield. They have webbed feet and are able to swim and dive, but they commonly get their living by preying upon the Gulls and Terns, overtaking them by their superior speed and by their strength and ferocity forcing them to relinquish their food. The Jægers especially are one of the swiftest and most graceful birds that fly.Page36Skua.Pomarine Jæger.35.Skua.Megalestris skua.Range.--Coasts and islands of the North Atlantic, chiefly on the European side; rare on the Atlantic coast of North America.Skuas are large (22 inches in length) and very powerfully built birds, having the general form of a Gull.Olive brown.Their whole plumage is a dingy brownish black color, palest below. Breeds in Iceland and possibly on some of the islands in Hudson Strait. The nest is a hollow on the ground in the marsh grass and is lined with grass. The two eggs which they lay have an olive greenish ground, spotted with dark brown. Size 2.75 × 1.90.36.Pomarine Jaeger.Stercorarius pomarinus.Range.--Northern Hemisphere, breeding within the Arctic Circle, more commonly in the Old World.Deep olive brown.In the breeding plumage, this Jæger has the crown and face blackish; back and sides of head, throat and under parts pure white, except the pointed stiffened feathers of the neck which are yellow. Back, wings and tail blackish, the latter with the two middle feathers lengthened about four inches beyond the rest of the tail, and broad to the tips, which are twisted so that the feathers are vertical. They breed throughout the Arctic regions, but not as commonly in America as the following species. The nest is on the ground in the marsh grass and is made of grass and moss. They lay two and rarely three eggs of an olive brown or greenish color. These are spotted with brown and black. Size 2.20 × 1.70.Page37Parastic Jæger.Long-tailed Jæger.37.Parasitic Jaeger.Stercorarius parasiticus.Range.--Northern Hemisphere, wintering south to South America.The Parasitic Jæger is very similar to the Pomarine except that the central tail feathers are pointed and are straight instead of twisted. It is an abundant bird in Alaska, breeding from the Aleutian Chain northward.They locate their nests in the highest parts of marshy places, the nest itself being only a depression in the ground lined with grass and moss. The two eggs have an olive greenish or brownish ground and are marked with various shades of brown and black. Size 2.15 × 1.65.Brownish.38.Long-tailed Jaeger.Stercorarius longicaudus.Range.--Arctic America; south in winter to South America.The long-tailed Jæger is, according to length, the largest of the Jægers, being 21 in. long; this is, however, due to the long sharp pointed central pair of tail feathers, which extend about eight inches beyond the others, and from the most noticeable distinguishing point from the former species. The plumages that have been described are the light phases; all the Jægers have a dark phase in which the plumage is a nearly uniform sooty brown, lightest below.Olive brown.The Long-tailed Jægers are the most numerous in Alaska and are even more graceful in flight than are the Gulls and Terns, floating, skimming, sailing, plunging, and darting about with incredible swiftness and ease. Like the others of this family, they pilfer their food from the Gulls, and are also very destructive to young birds and eggs. Their eggs are either laid on the bare ground or in a slight depression, scantily lined with grasses. The eggs are indistinguishable from those of the preceding species except that they average a trifle smaller. Size 2.10 × 1.50.Page38GULLS and TERNS. Family LARIDÆGulls are webbed footed birds having a slight hook to the end of the upper mandible. Their plumage is generally a silvery gray above and white below. They nest in large colonies, some on the islands of fresh water inland, but mostly on the sea coast. They procure their food from the surface of the water, it consisting mostly of dead fish and refuse matter, and crustacea which they gather from the waters edge. When tired they rest upon the surface of the water, where they ride the largest waves in perfect safety.Terns are birds of similar plumage to the Gulls, but their forms are less robust and the bills are generally longer and sharply pointed. Their food consists chiefly of small fish which they secure by hovering above the water, and then plunging upon them. They are less often seen on the surface of the water than are the Gulls.CHARACTERISTIC NEST OF A LOON.Page39Ivory Gull.Kittiwake.39.Ivory Gull.Pagophila alba.Range.--Arctic regions; south in winter to the northern border of the United States.The little Snow Gull, as it is often called, is eighteen inches in length. In the breeding season the plumage is entirely white; the bill is tipped with yellow and there is a red ring around the eye. These Gulls nest in large colonies in the Arctic Regions, placing their nests on the high rocky cliffs. The nest is made of grass, moss and rubbish, and the three eggs are laid during June. The eggs are olive color and the markings are dark brown.40.Kittiwake.Rissa tridactyla trydactyla.Range.--North Atlantic and Arctic regions, breeding from the Gulf of the St. Lawrence northward and wintering south to the Great Lakes and Long Island.The Kittiwake is sixteen inches in length, has a pearly gray mantle, black tips to the primaries, and remainder of plumage white. Its hind toe is very small being apparently wanting in the eastern form, while in the Pacific it is more developed. These are very noisy Gulls, their notes resembling a repetition of their name. They are very common in the far north, placing nests on the ledges of high rocky cliffs, often in company with Murres and Auks.White.They gather together a pile of sticks, grass and moss, making the interior cup-shaped so as to hold their two or three eggs. Large numbers of them breed on Bird Rock, they occupying certain ledges while the Gannets and Murres, which also breed there, also have distinct ledges on which to make their homes. The breeding season is at its height during June. The eggs are buffy or brownish gray and are spotted with different shades of brown. Size 2.25 × 1.60. Data.--So. Labrador, June 15, 1884. Three eggs. Nest made of seaweed and moss, placed on ledge of cliff. Many Murres nesting on other ledges.Page40Red-legged Kittiwake.Glaucus Gull.40a.Pacific Kittiwake.Rissa tridactyla pollicaris.Range.--Coast of the North Pacific, wintering south to California.The Pacific Kittiwake breeds in immense rookeries on some of the islands in Bering Sea. They are well distributed over Copper Island where they nest in June and July, choosing the high ledges which overhang the sea. The nesting habits and eggs are precisely the same as those of the common Kittiwake.41.Red-legged Kittiwake.Rissa brevirostris.Range.--Northwestern coasts, breeding in high latitudes.Brownish buff.This Kittiwake is similar to the preceding, with the exception that the legs are bright red, the mantle is darker, and the bill is shorter. This species was found by Dr. Leonard Stejneger to be a very abundant nesting bird on islands in Bering Sea, selecting steep and inaccessible rocks and ledges on which to build its nest. Their nesting habits are precisely the same as the Pacific Kittiwake, but they most often nest in separate colonies, but can be distinguished readily when nesting together by the darker mantles when on the nest and the red legs when flying. Grass, moss and mud are used in the nest. The ground color of the eggs is buffy or brownish, and the spots are dark brown and lilac. Size 2.15 × 1.50.42.Glaucous Gull.Larus hyperboreus.Range.--Arctic regions, south in winter to Long Island, the Great Lakes, and San Francisco Bay.This Gull shares with the Great Black-backed Gull the honor of being the largest of the Gulls, being 28 inches in length. Mantle light gray; it is distinguished by its size and the primaries, which are white to the tips. A powerful bird that preys upon the smaller Gulls and also devours the young and eggs of smaller birds.They nest on the ground on the islands and shores of Hudson Bay, Greenland, etc. The nest is made of seaweed, grass and moss and is generally quite bulky. The two or three eggs are laid in June. They are of various shades of color from a light drab to a brownish, and are spotted with brownish and black. Size about 3.00 × 2.20.Page4142.1.Point Barrow Gull.Larus barrovianus.Range.--Northwest coast from Bering Sea to Point Barrow.White.This species is almost identical with the Glaucus Gull, averaging perhaps a trifle smaller. Its standing as a distinct species is still questioned and has not yet been decided satisfactorily. Early in June their nests are built on remote islands in Bering Sea. These nests are the same as the last species, large piles of vegetation, hollowed on top for the reception of the eggs. The eggs have the same variations in color and markings as the Glaucus Gull. Size 3.00 × 2.10. Data.--Herschel Is., Alaska, July 1, 1900. Nest made of seaweed and grass; placed on the ground. Three eggs. Collector, Rev. I. O. Stringer.13.Iceland Gull.Larus leucopterus.Range.--Arctic regions, south in winter to the Middle States.Greenish brown.This Gull in appearance is precisely like the two preceding ones but is considerably smaller; 24 inches in length. A very common bird in the north, breeding in colonies of thousands on many of the islands. It is regarded as one of the most common of the larger Gulls in Bering Sea and also nests commonly in Hudson Bay and Greenland, as well as in the Eastern Hemisphere. They nest indifferently on high rocky cliffs or on low sandy islands. Except when the eggs are laid in a sandy depression in the soil, quite bulky nests are made of seaweed and moss. The eggs are laid about the first of June; they number two to three and have a ground color of brownish or greenish brown and are blotched with umber. Size 2.80 × 1.83. Data.--Mackenzie Bay, Arctic America. June 18, 1899. Nest made of seaweed and grass on an island in the bay.Page42Iceland Gull.Glaucous-winged Gull.44.Glaucous-winged Gull.Larus glaucescens.Range.--North Pacific coast, breeding from British Columbia northwards and wintering from the same country to southern California.Pale greenish brown.This Gull is very like the preceding except that the primaries are the same color as the mantle, and are tipped with white. Length about 27 inches. Not so northerly distributed a bird as the previous ones, and consequently better known. They breed in large numbers both on the high rocky cliffs of the islands along the coast and on the low sandy islands of the Aleutian Chain. On Copper Island they breed on the inaccessible cliffs overhanging the water. As in the case of the Iceland Gull, when the nests are on the cliffs, a large nest of seaweed is made, whereas if they are on the ground, especially in sandy places no attempt is made at nest-building. The eggs have a greenish brown ground color and dark brown spots. Size 2.75 × 2.05. Data.--West Coast of Vancouver Island. June 20, 1896. Three eggs; nest made of seaweed. Located on a low ledge. Collector, Dr. Newcombe.45.Kumlien's Gull.Larus Kumlieni.Range.--North Atlantic coast, breeding in Cumberland Sound and wintering as far south as Long Island.This bird differs from the Glaucous-winged only in the pattern of the gray markings of the primaries and in having a little lighter mantle. It is quite common in its breeding haunts where it places its nest high up on the ledges of the cliffs. The eggs are not different apparently from glaucescens.46.Nelson's Gull.Larus nelsoni.Range.--Coast of Alaska.Plumage exactly like that of Kumlien Gull and questionably a new species. The nests and eggs are not to be distinguished from the preceding.Page4347.Great- Black-Backed Gull.Larus marinus.Great Black-Backed Gull.Kumlien's Gull.Range.--North Atlantic on both the American and European sides; breeds from Nova Scotia northward and winters south to the Great Lakes and the Middle States.Grayish buff.The largest of the Gulls (thirty inches long) and unlike any other. The mantle is dark slaty black, and the primaries are black with white tips. The bill is very large and powerful and quite strongly hooked. They are quite abundant birds in their range, and are very quarrelsome, both among themselves and other species. They do not breed in as large colonies as do the other Gulls, half a dozen pairs appropriating a small island to the exclusion of all other birds. They are very rapacious birds and live to a great extent, especially during the breeding season, upon the eggs and young of other birds such as Ducks, Murres and smaller Gulls. They place their nests upon the higher portions of sandy islands. They are made of grasses and seaweed. The three eggs are laid early in June; they are grayish or brownish, spotted with brown and lilac. Size 3.00 × 2.15. Data.--South Labrador, June 21, 1884. Three eggs. Nest on a small island off the coast; of grasses and moss.48.Slaty-backed Gull.--Larus schistisagus.Range.--North Pacific and Arctic Oceans.This Gull, which is similar to the Great Black-backed, but is smaller and has a lighter mantle, does not breed in any considerable numbers on the American side of the Pacific. It nests in June on some of the islands in Bering Sea and probably more commonly farther north. They often nest in company with other species, placing their small mounds of seaweed on the ground on the higher parts of the islands. The full set contains three eggs of grayish or brownish color, spotted with dark brown or black. Size 2.90 × 2.00. Data.--Harrowby Bay, N. W. T. Canada, June 11, 1901. Nest of grass, roots and mud and lined with dry grass; on point making into the bay. Collector, Capt. H. H. Bodfish.Page44Western Gull.Herring Gull.49.Western Gull.Larus occidentalis.Range.--Pacific Coast, breeding from southern California to British Columbia.This bird, which is the most southerly distributed of the larger Gulls is twenty-four inches in length. Mantle slate colored; primaries black, both these and the secondaries being broadly tipped with white. These Gulls nest abundantly on the Farallones, the majority of them showing a preference for the lower portions of the island, although they nest on the ledges also. Besides man, these Gulls are the greatest enemies that the Murres have to content against. They are always on the watch and if a Murre leaves its nest, one of the Gulls is nearly always ready to pounce upon the egg and carry it away bodily in his bill. The Gulls too suffer when the eggers come, for their eggs are gathered up with the Murres for the markets. They make their nests of weeds and grass, and during May and June lay three eggs showing the usual variations of color common to the Gulls eggs. Size 2.75 × 1.90.50.Siberian Gull.Larus affinis.This bird does not nest in North America, and has a place on our list, by its accidental occurrence in Greenland. It is an Old World species and its nesting habits and eggs are like those of the Herring Gull.51.Herring Gull.Larus argentatus.Range.--Whole of the Northern Hemisphere, breeding from Maine and British Columbia northward and wintering south to the Gulf.Buff.This Gull, which formerly was No. 51a, a subspecies of the European variety, is now regarded as identical with it, and is no longer a sub-species. It is twenty-four inches in length, has a light gray mantle and black primaries which are tipped with white. The Herring Gulls nest in colonies in favorable localities throughout their range, chiefly on the coasts and islands. A few pairs also nest on islands in some of the inland bodies of fresh water. Except in places where they are continually molested, when they will build in trees, they place their nests on the ground either making no nest on the bare sand, or building a bulky nest of seaweed in the grass on higher parts of the island. They lay three eggs of a grayish color marked with brown. In rare cases unspotted bluish white eggs are found. Size 2.80 × 1.70.Page45Ring-billed Gull.California Gull.52.Vega Gull.Larus vegae.Range.--Coast of Alaska, south in winter to California.Similar to the Herring Gull, but with the mantle darker, but not so dark as in the Western Gull. The nesting habits and eggs are the same as those of the Herring Gull, except that in a series, the eggs of the Vega will average a little darker in ground color. It nests during May on the coasts and islands of Bering Sea, placing its eggs in a hollow on the ground. Size 2.75 × 1.65.Grayish brown.53.California Gull.Larus californicus.Range.--Western North America, breeding in the interior.A smaller Gull than the Herring with the primaries grayish instead of black; length twenty-five inches. This Gull is found in winter on the coast from British Columbia southward to Lower California, but nests in the interior from Utah northward. They nest very abundantly around the Great Salt Lake, placing their nests generally upon the bare ground. Sometimes there is a scant lining of grasses or weeds and again the nests will be situated in the midst of a tussock of grass. Three or four eggs generally constitute a set, but occasionally five are laid. The usual nesting time is during May. They show the same great variations in color and markings common to most of the Gulls. Size 2.60 × 1.80.54.Ring-billed Gull.Larus delawarenis.Range.--Whole of North America, breeding from the United States northward and wintering south to the Gulf States.A small Gull, eighteen inches in length, with a light gray mantle, black primaries with white tips, and always to be distinguished in the breeding season by the black band around the middle of the greenish yellow bill. They nest in enormous colonies on islands in the interior of the country and in smaller colonies on the coasts. Thousands of them breed on the lakes of the Dakotas and northward. The majority of them nest on the ground, although on the coast they are often found on the cliffs. They commonly lay three eggs placing them in a slight hollow in the ground, generally on the grassy portions of the islands. The color varies from grayish to brownish, marked with brown and lilac. The height of the nesting season is in June. Size of eggs, 2.80 × 1.75.Page46Short-billed Gull.Heerman's Gull.55.Short-billed Gull.Larus brachyrhynchus.Range.--Breeds from the interior of British Columbia northward to Alaska; south in winter to Lower California.The Short-billed or American Mew Gull is seventeen inches in length, has a short, stout bill and is otherwise similar to the preceding species. Nests on islands in the lakes and along the river banks of Alaska. The nest is made of grass, weeds and moss and is placed on the ground. Early in June the birds lay their set of three eggs, the ground color of which is greenish brown marked with dark brown. Size 2.25 × 1.60. Data.--Mackenzie River, N. W. T., June 18, 1900. Three eggs. Nest made of seaweed and grass and placed on the ground on an island in the river.Pale greenish-brown.56.Mew Gull.Larus canus.This is the European variety of the above species, breeding commonly both in the British Isles and northern Europe. This species is given a place in our avifauna because of its accidental appearance in Labrador.57.Heerman's Gull.Larus heermanni.Range.--Pacific Coast of North America from British Columbia south to Panama, breeding chiefly south of the United States border.A very handsome species, often called the White-headed Gull, and wholly unlike any other; length seventeen inches. Adults, in summer, have the entire head, neck and throat white, this shading quite abruptly into the slaty upper and under parts; the primaries and tail are black, the latter and the secondaries being tipped with white. The legs and bill are vermilion. They are found off the coast of California, but are not believed to breed there. They are known to breed on some of the islands off the Mexican coast nesting on the ground the same as the other species. The three eggs are greenish drab in color and are marked with different shades of brown and lilac. Size 2.45 × 1.50.Page4758.Laughing Gull.Larus atricilla.Laughing Gull.Range.--Eastern North America, breeding from the Gulf to Nova Scotia, chiefly on the coast. A beautiful Gull, 16 inches long, with a dark slate colored head, gray mantle, black primaries, and white neck, underparts and tail. Bill and feet red.Pale grayish brown.RING-BILLED GULL--Gray.This bird has its name from its peculiar laughing cry when alarmed or angry; it is also called the Black-headed Gull. They nest by thousands on the islands off the Gulf Coast and along the South Atlantic States. The nest is placed on the ground and is made of seaweed. Three, four and sometimes five eggs are laid, of a grayish to greenish brown color, marked with brown and lilac. Size 2.25 × 1.60. Data.--Timbalin Is., La., June 3, 1896. Three eggs. Nest of drift grass thrown in a pile about 8 inches high, slightly hollowed on top, in low marsh back of beach. Collector, E. A. McIlhenny.Page48Franklin's Gull.Bonaparte's Gull.59.Franklin's Gull.Larus franklini.Range.--Interior North America, breeding from middle United States northward.Grayish brown.Like the last but smaller and with the primaries light. Underparts rosy in breeding season. Nests very abundantly in the marshes of Minnesota and northward. Nest made of grasses and placed in the marsh grass barely above the surface of the water. Eggs same color as the last but the markings more inclined to zigzag lines. Size 2.10 × 1.40. Data.--Heron Lake, Minn., May 26, 1885. Nest of wet sedge stalks and rubbish placed in a bunch of standing sedge in shallow water; at least five thousand birds in rookery. Collector, J. W. Preston.60.Bonaparte's Gull.Larus philadelphia.Pale grayish brown.Range.--Breeds in the northern parts of North America; winters from Maine and British Columbia to the southern border of the United States.Smaller than the last; 14 inches long. Plumage similar, but bill slender and black. They nest in great numbers on the marshes of Manitoba and to the northward. The nests, of sticks and grass, are placed on the higher parts of the marsh and the usual complement of three eggs is laid during the latter part of June. The eggs are grayish to greenish brown, marked with dark brown and lilac. Size 1.90 × 1.30.Page4960.1.Little Gull.Larus minutus.Rose Gull.Sabine Gull.This Gull is the smallest of the family; it is a European bird, and has accidentally strayed to our shores but a few times. Its plumage is similar to that of the Bonaparte Gull but the bill is red. It breeds in the marshes around the Baltic Sea, placing its nest of dead vegetation on the highest parts of the marsh. They lay three eggs of a greenish gray color marked with dark brown and lilac. Size 1.75 × 1.25.61.Roses Gull.Rhodostethia rosea.Range.--The Arctic regions, south in winter to Alaska, Greenland, northern Europe and Asia.This beautiful bird is the most rare of all the Gulls, being very difficult to obtain because of its extreme northerly distribution. It is in form and plumage like Bonaparte Gull, with the exceptions that the head is white, there being a narrow black collar around the neck, the tail is wedge shaped, and the whole under parts from the chin to the tail are rosy in the breeding plumage. The nests and eggs remain still undiscovered, although Nansen, in August 1896, found a supposed breeding ground in Franz Josef Land, because of the numbers of the birds, but found no nests.62.Sabine's Gull.Xema sabinii.Range.--Arctic regions, breeding from Alaska and Greenland and northward, and wintering south to New England.Greenish brown.A handsome bird, having the slaty hood bordered behind with a black ring, the primaries black, white tipped, and the tail slightly forked. They breed abundantly on the marshes of northern Alaska and Greenland, nesting the same as others of the species. The two or three eggs are laid in June. They are greenish brown in color and are marked with dark brown. Size 1.75 × 1.25. Data.--Hudson Bay, August 1, 1894. Eggs laid on the ground in the moss; no nest except the hollow in the moss.Page5063.Gull-billed Tern.Gelochelidon nilotica.Pale greenish buff.Range.--Found in North America along the Gulf Coast and on the Atlantic Coast north to Virginia and casually farther.This is one of the largest of the Terns, is 14 inches long, has a short, thick, black bill and a short slightly forked tail; the crown is black, mantle pearly gray, white below. This species is very widely distributed, being found in Europe, Australia, Asia and Africa. They are known locally as "Marsh Terns" where they breed in immense numbers on some of the marshes about the Gulf, particularly in Texas. They also breed on many of the islands along the Coast, rarely making any nest, but laying the eggs in a hollow in the sand. They nest most abundantly in the latter part of May, generally laying three eggs. They are of a yellowish, grayish or greenish buff color and are spotted with brown and lilac. Size 1.80 × 1.30. Data.--Northampton Co., Va., May 28, 1882. Three eggs laid on a mass of seaweed on marsh above tide water.64.Caspian Tern.Sterna caspia.Range.--Like the preceding species, this bird is nearly cosmopolitan in its range, in North America breeding from the Gulf Coast and Texas northward to the Arctic Regions.Grayish buff.This beautiful bird is the largest of the Tern family, being about 22 inches in length, with the tail forked about 1.5 inches. The bill is large, heavy and bright red; the crest, with which this and the next three species are adorned, is black. The mantle is pale pearl and the under parts white. These Terns sometimes nest in large colonies and then again only a few pairs will be found on an island. In Texas, the breeding season commences in May, it being later in the more northern breeding grounds. They may be regarded as largely eastern birds, as while they are common in the interior of the country, they are rarely found on the Pacific Coast. Two or three eggs constitute a complete set; these are laid on the sand in a slight hollow scooped out by the birds. They vary from gray to greenish buff, marked with brown and lilac. Size 2.60 × 1.75. Data.--Hat Island, Lake Michigan, July 1, 1896. No nest. Two eggs in a hollow in the gravel. Fully a thousand terns nesting on about one acre. Collector, Charles L. Cass.Page51Gull-billed Tern.Caspian Tern.Royal Tern.65.Royal Tern.Sterna maxima.Range.--Temperate North and South America, breeding in the United States locally from Texas and the Gulf States northward to the northern boundary of the United States.Grayish buff.The Royal Terns nest in great numbers on the coasts and islands on the South Atlantic and Gulf States and in the marshes of southern Texas. Like the former species they lay two or three eggs in a hollow on the bare sand. The eggs are the same size but differ in being more pointed and having a lighter ground and with the markings more bold and distinct. Size 2.60 × 1.70.66.Elegant Tern.Sterna elegans.Cream color.Range.--Pacific Coast of South and Central America; north to California in summer.A similar bird to the Royal Tern, but easily distinguished by its smaller size, slender bill, and more graceful form. In the breeding plumage the under parts of these Terns are tinged with rosy, which probably first gave the birds their name. They breed on the coasts and islands of Mexico and Central America, placing their eggs on the sand. They are believed to lay but a single egg, like that of the Royal Tern, but smaller. Size 2.40 × 1.40. Data.--Honduras, Central America, June 5, 1899. Single egg laid on the sandy beach.Page52Elegant Tern.Cabot's Tern.67.Cabot Tern.Sterna sandvicensis acuflavida.Range.--A tropical species breeding regularly north to the Bahamas and Florida; casually farther north.Cream color.A beautiful bird distinguished from the three preceding ones by its smaller size (sixteen inches) and by the bill which is black with a yellow tip. They nest in colonies on the shores of islands in the West Indies and Bahamas, but not to a great extent on the United States Coast. Their two or three eggs have a creamy ground color, and are boldly marked with brown and black. Size 2.10 × 1.40.68.Trudeau's Tern.Sterna trudeaui.Range.--South America; accidentally along the coast of the United States.A rare and unique species with a form similar to the following, but with the coloration entirely different. About fifteen inches in length; tail long and deeply forked; bill yellow with a band of black about the middle. Whole head pure white, shading into the pearly color of the upper and under parts. A narrow band of black through the eye and over the ear coverts. A very rare species that is supposed to breed in southern South America. Given a place among North American birds on the strength of a specimen seen by Audubon off Long Island.Page53Forsters Tern.Common Tern.69.Forster's Tern.Sterna forsteri.Range.--Temperate North America, breeding from Manitoba, Mass., and California, south to the Gulf Coast and Texas.Length about fifteen inches; tail long and deeply forked; crown black, back and wings pearl and under parts white. Bill orange red. This species and the three following are the most graceful of birds in appearance and flight. Their movements can only be likened to those of the Swallows, from which they get the name of "Sea Swallows." Their food consists of fish, which they get by diving, and marine insects. They breed by thousands in the marshes from Manitoba to Texas and along the South Atlantic coast. The eggs are laid in a hollow on the dry grassy portions of the islands or marshes. They generally lay three eggs and rarely four. They are buffy or brownish spotted with dark brown and lilac. Size 1.80 × 1.30. Data.--Cobb's Island, Va., June 8, 1887. Eggs in a hollow on grassy bank. Collector, F. H. Judson.Brownish buff.70.Common Tern.Sterna hirundo.Range.--Eastern North America, breeding both on the coast and in the interior from the Gulf States northward.Buff.This bird differs from the preceding chiefly in having a bright red bill tipped with black, and the under parts washed with pearl. These are the most common Terns on the New England coast, nesting abundantly from Virginia to Newfoundland. These beautiful Terns, together with others of the family, were formerly killed by thousands for millinery purposes, but the practice is now being rapidly stopped. In May and June they lay their three, or sometimes four eggs on the ground as do the other Terns. They are similar to the preceding species but average shorter. Data.--Duck Is., Maine, June 30, 1896. Three eggs in marsh grass about fifty feet from beach. No nest. Collector, C. A. Reed.Page5471.Arctic Tern.Sterna paradisaea.Arctic Tern.Roseate Tern.Aleutian Tern.Range.--Northern Hemisphere, breeding from New England northward to the Arctic Regions and wintering south to California and the South Atlantic States. A similar bird to the last, differing in having the bill wholly red and the feet being smaller and weak for the size of the bird. A more northern bird than the last, breeding abundantly in Alaska, both on the coast and in the interior. In the southern limits of its breeding range, it nests in company with the Common Tern, its nests and eggs being indistinguishable from the latter. When their nesting grounds are approached, all the birds arise like a great white cloud, uttering their harsh, discordant "tearrr, tearrr," while now and then an individual, bolder than the rest, will swoop close by with an angry "crack." On the whole they are timid birds, keeping well out of reach. The nesting season is early in June. Eggs like the preceding. Data.--Little Duck Is., Me., June 29, 1896. Three eggs in a slight hollow on the beach, three feet above high water mark.72.Roseate Tern.Sterna dougalli.Range.--Temperate North America on the east coast, breeding from New England to the Gulf.Grayish or Brownish.These are the most beautiful birds, having a delicate pink blush on the under parts during the breeding season; the tail is very long and deeply forked, the outer feathers being over five inches longer than the middle ones; the bill is red with a black tip. They nest in large colonies on the islands from Southern New England southward, placing the nests in the short grass, generally without any lining. They lay two or three eggs which are indistinguishable from the two preceding species.73.Aleutian Tern.Sterna aleutica.Range.--Found in summer in Alaska and the Aleutian Islands.South in winter to Japan. This handsome Tern is of the form and size of the Common Tern, but has a darker mantle, and the forehead is white, leaving a black line from the bill to the eye. They nest on islands off the coast of Alaska, sometimes together with the Arctic Tern. The eggs are laid upon the bare ground or moss, and are similar to the Arctic Terns, but average narrower. They are two or three in number and are laid in June and July. Size 1.70 × 1.15. Data.--Stuart Is., Alaska. Three eggs in a slight hollow in the moss.Page55Least Tern.Sooty Tern.74.Least Tern.Sterna antillarum.Range.--From northern South America to southern New England, Dakota and California, breeding locally throughout its range.These little Sea Swallows are the smallest of the Terns, being but 9 inches in length. They have a yellow bill with a black tip, a black crown and nape, and white forehead. Although small, these little Terns lose none of the grace and beauty of action of their larger relatives.Light buff.They nest in colonies on the South Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, placing their eggs upon the bare sand, where they are sometimes very difficult to see among the shells and pebbles. They are of a grayish or buffy color spotted with umber and lilac. They number two, three and rarely four, and are laid in May and June. Size 1.25 × .95. Data.--DeSota Beach, Fla., May 20, 1884. Three eggs laid on the sandy beach. Collector, Chas. Graham.75.Sooty Tern.Sterna fuscata.Creamy white.Range.--Tropical America, north to the South Atlantic States. This species measures 17 inches in length; it has a brownish black mantle, wings and tail, except the outer feathers of the latter which are white; the forehead and under parts are white, the crown and a line from the eye to the bill, black. This tropical species is very numerous at its breeding grounds on the small islands of the Florida Keys and the West Indies. They lay but a single egg, generally placing it on the bare ground, or occasionally building a frail nest of grasses. The egg has a pinkish white or creamy ground and is beautifully sprinkled with spots of reddish brown and lilac. They are laid during May. Size 2.05 × 1.45. Data.--Clutheria Key, Bahamas, May 28, 1891. Single egg laid on bare ground near water. Collector, D. P. Ingraham.Page56Black Tern.Noddy.Black Skimmer.76.Bridled Tern.Sterna anaetheta.Range.--Found in tropical regions of both hemispheres; casual or accidental in Florida. This Tern is similar to the last except that the nape is white and the white of the forehead extends in a line over the eye.Creamy white.The Bridled Tern is common on some of the islands of the West Indies and the Bahamas, nesting in company with the Sooty Terns and Noddies. The single egg is laid on the seashore or among the rocks. It is creamy white beautifully marked with brown and lilac. Size 1.85 × 1.25. Data.--Bahamas, May 9, 1892. Single egg laid in a cavity among the rocks. Collector, D. P. Ingraham.77.Black Tern.Hydrochelidon nigra surinamensis.Range.--Temperate America, breeding from the middle portions of the United States northward to Alaska; south in winter beyond the United States Border.The identity of these Terns cannot be mistaken. They are but ten inches in length; the whole head, neck and under parts are black; the back, wings and tail are slaty and the under tail coverts are white. Their dainty figure with their long slender wings gives them a grace and airiness, if possible, superior to other species of the family.Deep greenish brown.They are very active and besides feeding upon all manner of marine crustacea, they capture many insects in the air. They nest in large colonies in marshes, both along the coast and in the interior, making a nest of decayed reeds and grasses, or often laying their eggs upon rafts of decayed vegetation which are floating on the water. The nesting season commences in May, they laying three eggs of a brownish or greenish color, very heavily blotched with blackish brown. Size 1.35 × .95. Data.--Winnebago City, Minn., May 31, 1901. Three eggs. Nest made of a mass of weeds and rushes floating on water in a swamp. Collector, R. H. Bullis.Page57Greenish buff.78.White-winged Black Tern.Hydrochelidon leucoptera.Range.--Eastern Hemisphere, its addition to American birds being made because of the accidental appearance of one bird in Wisconsin in 1873. They nest very abundantly among the lakes and marshes of southern Europe, placing their eggs the same as the American species, upon masses of decayed reeds and stalks.Buff.They lay three eggs which have a somewhat brighter appearance than the common Black Terns because of a somewhat lighter ground color.79.Noddy.Anous stolidus.Range.--Tropical America, north to the Gulf and South Atlantic States.Noddy.A peculiar but handsome bird (about fifteen inches long), with a silvery white head and the rest of the plumage brownish, and the tail rounded.They breed in abundance on some of the Florida Keys, the West Indies and the Bahamas.Their nests are made of sticks and grass, and are placed either in trees or on the ground. They lay but a single egg with a buffy or cream colored ground spotted with chestnut and lilac. Size 2.00 × 1.30. Atwood's Key, Bahamas, June 1, 1891. Nest made of sticks and grasses, three feet up a mangrove. Collector, D. P. Ingraham.Page58SKIMMERS. Family RYNCHOPIDÆSkimmers are Tern-like birds having a very strangely developed bill. The lower mandible is much longer than the upper and very thin, the upper edge being as sharp as the lower. The lower mandible is rounded at the end while the upper is more pointed. Young Skimmers are said to have both mandibles of the same length, the abnormal development not appearing until after flight. Skimmers are very graceful birds, and, as implied by their name, they skim over the surface of the water, rising and falling with the waves, and are said to pick up their food by dropping the lower mandible below the surface, its thin edge cutting the water like a knife. There are four species of Skimmers, only one of which is found in North America.80.Black Skimmer.Rynchops nigra.Buffy yellow.Range.--The South Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, breeding from New Jersey southward. The Black Skimmer is about eighteen inches in length, and besides the remarkable bill is a bird of striking plumage; the forehead, ends of the secondaries, tail feathers and under parts are white; the rest of the plumage is black and the basal half of the bill is crimson. Skimmers nest in large communities, the same as do the Terns, laying their eggs in hollows in the sand. They are partially nocturnal in their habits and their hoarse barking cries may be heard after the shadows of night have enveloped the earth. Fishermen call them by the names of "Cut-water" and "Sea Dog." The nesting season commences in May and continues through June and July. They lay from three to five eggs, having a creamy or yellowish buff ground, blotched with black, chestnut and lilac. Size 1.75 × 1.30. Data.--Cobb's Is., Va., June 8, 1894. Three eggs laid in a hollow on the beach. No nest.Page59TUBE-NOSED SWIMMERS. Order III. TUBINARES.ALBATROSSES. Family DIOMEDEIDAEBlack-footed Albatross.Short-tailed Albatross.Albatrosses are the largest of the sea birds and have an enormous expanse of wing, the Wandering Albatross, the largest of the family, sometimes attaining an expanse of fourteen feet. Their nostrils consist of two slightly projecting tubes, one on each side near the base of the bill. They are unsurpassed in powers of flight, but are only fair swimmers and rarely, if ever, dive, getting their food, which consists of dead animal matter, from the surface of the water.81.Black-footed Albatross.Diomedea nigripes.Range.--North Pacific from California northward. This Albatross is thirty-two inches in length; it is of a uniform sooty brown color shading into whitish at the base of the bill, which is rounded. Like the other members of the family, this species is noted for its extended flights, following vessels day after day without any apparent period of rest, for the purpose of feeding on the refuse that is thrown overboard. They breed during our winter on some of the small isolated islands in the extreme southern portions of the globe. They lay a single white egg on the bare ground.82.Short-tailed Albatross.Diomedea albatrus.Range.--North Pacific Ocean in summer, from Lower California to Alaska. With the exception of the Wandering Albatross, which is now regarded as doubtful as occurring off our coasts, the Short-tailed Albatross is one of the largest of the group, measuring thirty-six inches in length, and has an extent of seven feet or more. With the exception of the black primaries, shoulders and tail, the entire plumage is white, tinged with straw color on the back of the head. They breed on the guano islands in the North Pacific off the coasts of Alaska and Japan. They lay a single white egg on the bare ground or rocks. As with the other members of the family, the eggs are extremely variable in size, but average about 4.25 × 2.50.Page6082.1.Laysan Albatross.Diomedea immutabilis.Laysan Albatross.Yellow-nosed Albatross.Sooty Albatross.Range.--Laysan Island of the Hawaiian Group, appearing casually off the coast of California. This species breeds in large numbers on the island from which it takes its name. The birds are white with the exception of the back, wings and tail, which are black. The birds, having been little molested in their remote island, are exceedingly tame, and it is possible to go among the sitting birds without disturbing them. Mr. Walter K. Fisher has contributed an admirable report on this species in the 1913 Bulletin of the Fish Commission, the report being illustrated with numerous illustrations of the birds from photos by the author. Their single white eggs are laid on the bare ground.83.Yellow-nosed Albatross.Thalassogeron culminatus.This is a species which inhabits the South Pacific and Indian Oceans, and is said to rarely occur on the California coast. They breed during our winter on some of the small islands and during our summer are ocean wanderers. An egg in the collection of Col. John E. Thayer was taken on Gough Island, South Atlantic Ocean; Sept. 1st, 1888. The nest was a mound of mud and grass about two feet in height. The single white egg measured 3.75 × 2.25. It was collected by George Comer.84.Sooty Albatross.Phoebetria-palpebrata.Range.--Southern seas, north in our summer along the Pacific coast of the United States.This species is entirely sooty brown except the white eyelids. It is similar to the Black-footed Albatross from which species it can be distinguished in all plumages by the narrow base of the bill, while the bill of the former species is broad and rounded. They breed commonly on isolated islands in many quarters of the southern hemisphere. Sometimes this species constructs a mound of mud on which to deposit its single white egg, and also often lays it on the bare ground or rock. A specimen in Mr. Thayer's collection, taken by Geo. Comer on So. Georgia Is. in the South Atlantic ocean, was laid in a hollow among loose stones on the ledge of an overhanging cliff. Size 4.10 × 2.75.Page61EGG OF SOOTY ALBATROSS--White.FULMARS, SHEARWATERS and PETRELSFamily PROCELLARIDAEFulmars, Shearwaters and Petrels are Gull-like birds with two nostril tubes located side by side, in a single tube, on the top of the bill at its base.The Fulmars are mostly northern birds while the majority of the Shearwaters nest in the extreme south during our winter, and appear off our coasts during the summer. Their food consists of fish or offal which they get from the surface of the water; large flocks of them hover about fishermen, watching their chance to get any food which falls, or is thrown, overboard.Page62Fulmar.85.Giant Fulmar.Macronectes gigantea.Range.--This Petrel is a native of the southern seas and is only casually met with off the Pacific coast.It is the largest of the family, being about three feet in length, and is normally a uniform sooty color, although it has light phases of plumage. They nest in December on many of the islands south of Africa and South America, laying their single white egg on the bare rocks.86.Fulmar.Fulmarus glacialis glacialis.Range.--North Atlantic coasts from New England northward, breeding from Hudson Bay and southern Greenland northward.This bird which is 19 inches in length, in the light phase has a plumage very similar to that of the larger Gulls. They nest by thousands on rocky islands of the north, often in company with Murres and Gulls. Owing to the filthy habits of the Fulmars, these breeding grounds always have a nauseating odor, which is also imparted to, and retained by the egg shell. Their single white eggs are laid on the bare rocks, in crevices of the cliffs, often hundreds of feet above the water. Size 2.90 × 2.00. Data.--St. Kilda, off Scotland. June 5, 1897. Single egg laid on rock on side of sea cliff. Collector, Angus Gillies.Page63Pacific Fulmar.Slender-billed Fulmar.86b.Pacific Fulmar.Fulmarus glacialis glupischa.This sub-species of the preceding, has a darker mantle than the common Fulmar; it is found on the northern Pacific coasts where it breeds on the high rocky cliffs, the same as its eastern relative. They nest in large colonies, every crevice in the rocks having its tenant. Their flight is graceful like that of the Gulls, which they closely resemble. They lay but a single white egg, the average dimensions of which are slightly smaller than those of the common Fulmar. Data.--Copper Is., Alaska. May 14, 1889. Egg laid in a crevice among the cliffs.86.1.Rodger's Fulmar.Fulmarus rodgers.Range.--North Pacific, breeding in large numbers on some of the islands in Bering Sea; south to California in winter. Very similar to the two preceding species except that the back is mixed with whitish, it is not believed to have a dark phase. Their breeding habits and eggs do not differ from the common Fulmar. The eggs are laid on the rocky cliffs during June.87.Slender-billed Fulmar.Priocella glacialoides.Range.--Southern seas, appearing on the Pacific coast of the United States in the summer. This species has a paler mantle than the others of the family, and the primaries are black. The make-up and plumage of the whole bird is more like that of the Gulls than any of the others. They probably breed in the far south during our winter, although we have no definite data relative to their nesting habits.Page64Cory Shearwater.Greater Shearwater.88.Cory's Shearwater.Puffinus borealis.This species probably breeds in the far south. It has been found only off the coast of Massachusetts and Long Island. This is the largest of our Shearwaters, and can be distinguished from the next species by its wholly white underparts, its light mantle and yellowish bill. We have no data relative to its nesting habits.89.Greater Shearwater.Puffinus gravis.Range.--The whole of the Atlantic Ocean.Thousands of them spend the latter part of the summer off the New England coast, where they are known to the fishermen as Haglets. Their upper parts are brownish gray, darker on the wings; bill and feet dark; underparts white, with the middle of the belly and the under tail covers dusky. Length about 20 inches. Little is known concerning their nesting quarters, although they are said to breed in Greenland. From the fact of their early appearance off the New England coast it is probable that the greater part of them nest in the far south.90.Manx Shearwater.Puffinus puffinus.This species inhabits the North Atlantic ocean chiefly on the European side, being abundant in the Mediterranean and in the British Isles.Audubon's Shearwater.Thesebirds deposit their single pure white eggs in crevices among the cliffs, on the ground or in burrows dug by themselves. Size of egg 2.35 × 1.60. Data.--Isle of Hay, North Scotland. June 1, 1893. Single egg laid at the end of a three foot burrow.Egg of Audubon's Shearwater--White.Page6591.Pink-footed Shearwater.Puffinus creatopus.Pink-footed Shearwater.Black-vented Shearwater.Townsend's Shearwater.Range.--Pacific Ocean, north on American side to California in summer.This species, whose breeding habits are little known, is similar in size and color to the Greater Shearwater, differing chiefly in the yellowish bill and pinkish colored feet.92.Audubon's Shearwater.Puffinus lherminieri.Range.--Middle Atlantic, ranging north in late summer to Long Island.This bird, having a length of but twelve inches, is the smallest of the Shearwaters found along our coasts. Large colonies of them breed on some of the small islands and keys of the West Indies and Bahamas, and not so commonly in the Bermudas. Their eggs, which are pure white, are deposited at the end of burrows dug by the birds. Size of egg 2.00 × 1.35. Their nesting season commences about the latter part of March and continues through April and May. After the young are able to fly, like other members of the family, the birds become ocean wanderers and stray north to southern New England. Data.--Bahamas, April 13, 1891. Single egg laid at the end of a burrow about two feet in length. Collector, D. P. Ingraham.92.1.Allied Shearwater.Puffinus assimilis.This is an Australian and New Zealand species that has accidentally strayed to the shores of Nova Scotia.93.Black-vented Shearwater.Puffinus opisthomelas.Range.--Middle Pacific coast of the Americas, north in late summer along the coast of California. This species breeds commonly on the islands off the coast of Lower California, especially on the Gulf side. Their single egg is white, size 2.00 × 1.30, and is located at the end of a burrow. Data.--Natividad Is., Lower California, April 10, 1897. Single egg laid on the sand at the end of a burrow six feet in length. Collector, A. W. Anthony.93.1.Townsend's Shearwater.Puffinus auricularis.This bird ranges from Cape St. Lucas, south along the Pacific coast of Mexico, breeding on the Revillagigedo Islands off the Mexican coast.Page66Sooty Shearwater.94.Sooty Shearwater.Puffins fuliginosus.Range.--A common species off the Atlantic coast in summer; breeds along our northern coasts, and it is also supposed that many of them nest in southern seas and reach our coasts early in the summer. These Shearwaters are entirely sooty gray, being somewhat lighter below. They are called "black haglets" by the fishermen, whose vessels they follow in the hope of procuring bits of refuse. They commonly nest in burrows in the ground, but are also said to build in fissures among the ledges. Their single white egg measures 2.55 × 1.75. Data.--Island in Ungava Bay, northern Labrador, June 14, 1896. Egg laid in a fissure of a sea cliff. Collector, A. N. McFord.Dark-bodied Shearwater.Slender-billed Shearwater.95.Dark-bodied Shearwater.Puffinus griseus.This is a southern species which, after having nested on islands in the far south during our winter, comes north and appears off the Pacific coast of the United States during the summer. It is a similar bird to the Sooty Shearwater, but is considerably darker and the under coverts are whitish. Their nesting habits are the same as those of other members of the family. Size of egg, 2.40 × 1.65. Data.--Stewart's Island, New Zealand, February 15, 1896. Single egg at the end of a long burrow.96.Slender-billed Shearwater.Puffinus tenuirostris.Range.--Northern Pacific Ocean in the summer, extending from Japan and Alaska southward. Supposed to breed in the southern hemisphere, as well as probably on some of the Aleutians in Alaska.96.1.Wedge-tailed Shearwater.Puffinus cuneatus.Range.--North Pacific, breeding on the Revillagigedo Islands off the coast of Mexico, and probably on some of the small islands in the Gulf of California.97.Black-tailed Shearwater.Priofinus cinerus.This is a Shearwater which inhabits the southern hemisphere, but which has accidentally wandered to the Pacific coast of the United States. It is dark above and whitish below, with black under tail coverts. It breeds in the far south.Page67Black-capped Petrel.Scaled Petrel.Fisher's Petrel.98.Black-capped Petrel.Æstrelata hasitata.This is not a common species; it is an inhabitant of tropical seas and has only been casually found on our coasts or inland. It is a handsome species with white forehead, underparts and nape with a small isolated black cap on the crown; the rest of the upper parts are blackish. It is a native of the West Indies.99.Scaled Petrel.Æstrelata scalaris.This is another rare species which is an inhabitant of southern seas. A single specimen taken in New York State gives it a claim as a doubtful North American species. It is a handsome bird, the feathers of the grayish upperparts being edged with white, thus giving it the appearance of being barred. Its eggs have only been known to science within the past few years. Data.--Preservation Inlet, New Zealand, June 7, 1900. Single white egg. Size 2.40 × 1.75. Collector, P. Seymour. Parent bird taken with the egg.100.Fisher's Petrel.Æstralata fisheri.This is a handsome bird known only from the type specimen taken off Kadiak Is., Alaska, by Mr. Fisher.101.Bulwer's Petrel.Bulweria bulweri.An eastern Atlantic species which is only an accidental visitant to our shores. They breed on the Madeira Islands where the eggs are laid in crevices among the rocks or in burrows in the ground. Size 1.75 × 1.55, white.102.Pintado Petrel.Daption capensis.This is the Cape Pigeon of the southern hemisphere. It has only accidentally occurred on our coast.Page68Least Petrel.Stormy Petrel.Forked-tailed Petrel.103.Least Petrel.Halocyptena microsoma.Range.--Pacific coast of America from Lower California to Panama. The Least Petrel is the smallest of this family, in length measuring only 5.75 inches. Their plumage is entirely dark sooty. They have been found breeding on San Benito Island, Lower California, and they probably do on others farther south. The single egg that this bird lays is white with a wreath of fine black specks around one and sometimes both ends. Data.--San Benito Is., Lower California, June 12, 1897. No nest, the egg being simply laid on the bare rock in a crevice. Size 1.00 × .75. Collector, A. W. Anthony.104.Storm Petrel.Thalassidroma pelagica.North Atlantic Ocean chiefly on the European side, wintering south to New Brunswick. Smallest of the white rumped, black petrels; 5.75 inches in length.White.This species is the originally called "Mother Cary's Chicken" by the sailors. They nest abundantly on many of the islands off the coasts of Europe and the British Isles, laying their single egg either in burrows or crevices among the cliffs. Data.--Coast of County Kerry, Ireland, June 1, 1895. Single egg laid at the end of burrow in a sea cliff. Size 1.05 × .80; white with a wreath of very fine dots about the larger end. Collector, G. H. McDonald.105.Forked-tailed Petrel.Oceanodroma furcata.Range.--North Pacific from California to Alaska, breeding in the Aleutians.These birds have a plumage of bluish gray, the wings being darker and the underparts lightest. The nests are made in burrows or crevices in the banks. Data.--Uniak Is., Alaska, June 10, 1900. No nest. Single egg laid at the end of a burrow. Several pairs nesting near. Egg white with a fine wreath of purplish black specks about the large end. Size 1.25 × .95.Page69Kæding's Petrel.Leach's Petrel.Guadalupe Petrel.105.2.Kæding's Petrel.Oceanodroma kædingi.This bird is similar to Leach Petrel, but is smaller and the tail is less deeply forked. Its range is from California to Panama breeding on the Revillagigedo Islands off Mexico.106.Leach's Petrel.Oceanodroma leucorhoa.Range.--North Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans, breeding from Maine and from the Farallones, northward to Greenland and the Aleutians.These are the most common of the Petrels found on our coast; they are eight inches in length, of a sooty brown color, and have a white rump. The forked tail will at once distinguish them from any of the Atlantic Petrels. They nest in burrows in the ground, laying a pure white egg, sometimes with a very faint dusty wreath about the larger end. Size 1.20 × .95. These birds generally take turns in the task of incubation, one remaining at sea during the day and returning at night while his mate takes her turn roving the briny deep in search of food.White.The young are fed by regurgitation upon an oily fluid which has a very offensive odor. This odor is always noticeable about an island inhabited by Petrels and is always retained by the eggs or skins of these birds. They are very rarely seen flying in the vicinity of their nesting island during the day; the bird that is on the nest will remain until removed by hand. Data.--Pumpkin Is., Maine, June 22, 1893. Single egg; nest of a few grasses at the end of a burrow dug in the bank. Collector, J. Lefavour.White, nest stained.106.1Guadalupe Petrel.Oceanodroma macrodactyla.This species, which is very similar to the preceding, except for a longer and more deeply forked tail, breeds on Guadalupe Is. Their eggs are white very minutely wreathed with reddish brown; they are, however, nearly always nest stained to an uneven brownish color. Data.--Guadalupe Is., Lower California, March 24, 1897. Single egg laid on a few oak leaves and pine needles at the end of a three foot burrow. Size of egg 1.40 × 1.00. Collector, A. W. Anthony.Page70Black Petrel.Ashy Petrel.107.Black Petrel.Oceanodroma melania.Range.--South Pacific, from southern California southward, breeding on the small islands on both coasts of Lower California. They are similar to the Leach's Petrel except that the rump is blackish. Data.--San Benito Is., Lower California, July 23, 1896. White egg laid on bare ground at the end of three foot burrow. Size 1.40 × 1. Collector, A. W. Anthony.108.Ashy Petrel.Oceanodroma homochroa.Range.--California coast, breeding on the Farallones and Santa Barbara Islands.This species, while not common, nests in all manner of localities on the Farallones, concealing their eggs under any rock or in any crevice that may attract their fancy. Their single white egg is only faintly if at all wreathed with fine dust-like specks of reddish brown. Size 1.15 × .86. Data.--Farallone Is., California, June 12, 1895. Egg laid on sand in crevice at the base of a stone wall; well concealed. Collector, Chester Barlow.108.1.Socorro Petrel.Oceanodroma socorroensis.Breeds on Socorro, San Benito and Coronado Islands, placing its eggs at the end of burrow. Data.--San Benito Is., Lower California, July 12, 1897. Single egg at the end of a burrow 3 feet in length. Egg pure white very finely wreathed with pale reddish brown. Size 1.15 × .87. Collector, A. W. Anthony.Page71Wilson's Petrel.White-billed Petrel.White-faced Petrel.109.Wilson's Petrel.Oceanites oceanicus.Breeds in the southern hemisphere in February and March and spends the summer off the Atlantic coast as far north as Newfoundland. This species can be distinguished from Leach Petrel by its square tail and from the Stormy Petrel by its large size and yellow webs to its feet. These birds are the greatest wanderers of the genus, being found at different seasons in nearly all quarters of the globe. Their single egg is white. Size 1.25 × .90.110.White-bellied Petrel.Fregetta grallaria.A small species (length about 7.5 inches) inhabiting southern seas. Recorded once at Florida. General plumage blackish. Upper tail coverts, bases of tail feathers, under wing coverts, and abdomen, white.111.White-faced Petrel.Pelagodroma marina.Range.--Southern seas, accidentally north to the coast of Massachusetts. This beautiful species is of about the same size as the Leach's Petrel. It has bluish gray upper parts; the whole under parts, as well as the forehead and sides of head, are white.White.These birds have the same characteristics as do others of the species, pattering over the water with their feet as they skim over the crests and troughs of the waves. They are not uncommon in the waters about New Zealand where they breed. Their single eggs are about the same as Leach's Petrel, are brilliant white and are, very strongly, for a Petrel egg, wreathed about the large end with dots of reddish brown. Size 1.32 × .90. Data.--Chatham Is., New Zealand, January 7, 1901. Egg laid at end of a burrow. Collector, J. Lobb. This egg is in Mr. Thayer's collection.

Skuas and Jægers are birds having a Gull or Tern-like form and with a hooked bill, the base of which is covered with a scaly shield. They have webbed feet and are able to swim and dive, but they commonly get their living by preying upon the Gulls and Terns, overtaking them by their superior speed and by their strength and ferocity forcing them to relinquish their food. The Jægers especially are one of the swiftest and most graceful birds that fly.

Skua.Pomarine Jæger.

35.Skua.Megalestris skua.

Range.--Coasts and islands of the North Atlantic, chiefly on the European side; rare on the Atlantic coast of North America.

Skuas are large (22 inches in length) and very powerfully built birds, having the general form of a Gull.

Olive brown.

Their whole plumage is a dingy brownish black color, palest below. Breeds in Iceland and possibly on some of the islands in Hudson Strait. The nest is a hollow on the ground in the marsh grass and is lined with grass. The two eggs which they lay have an olive greenish ground, spotted with dark brown. Size 2.75 × 1.90.

36.Pomarine Jaeger.Stercorarius pomarinus.

Range.--Northern Hemisphere, breeding within the Arctic Circle, more commonly in the Old World.

Deep olive brown.

In the breeding plumage, this Jæger has the crown and face blackish; back and sides of head, throat and under parts pure white, except the pointed stiffened feathers of the neck which are yellow. Back, wings and tail blackish, the latter with the two middle feathers lengthened about four inches beyond the rest of the tail, and broad to the tips, which are twisted so that the feathers are vertical. They breed throughout the Arctic regions, but not as commonly in America as the following species. The nest is on the ground in the marsh grass and is made of grass and moss. They lay two and rarely three eggs of an olive brown or greenish color. These are spotted with brown and black. Size 2.20 × 1.70.

Parastic Jæger.Long-tailed Jæger.

37.Parasitic Jaeger.Stercorarius parasiticus.

Range.--Northern Hemisphere, wintering south to South America.

The Parasitic Jæger is very similar to the Pomarine except that the central tail feathers are pointed and are straight instead of twisted. It is an abundant bird in Alaska, breeding from the Aleutian Chain northward.

They locate their nests in the highest parts of marshy places, the nest itself being only a depression in the ground lined with grass and moss. The two eggs have an olive greenish or brownish ground and are marked with various shades of brown and black. Size 2.15 × 1.65.

Brownish.

38.Long-tailed Jaeger.Stercorarius longicaudus.

Range.--Arctic America; south in winter to South America.

The long-tailed Jæger is, according to length, the largest of the Jægers, being 21 in. long; this is, however, due to the long sharp pointed central pair of tail feathers, which extend about eight inches beyond the others, and from the most noticeable distinguishing point from the former species. The plumages that have been described are the light phases; all the Jægers have a dark phase in which the plumage is a nearly uniform sooty brown, lightest below.

Olive brown.

The Long-tailed Jægers are the most numerous in Alaska and are even more graceful in flight than are the Gulls and Terns, floating, skimming, sailing, plunging, and darting about with incredible swiftness and ease. Like the others of this family, they pilfer their food from the Gulls, and are also very destructive to young birds and eggs. Their eggs are either laid on the bare ground or in a slight depression, scantily lined with grasses. The eggs are indistinguishable from those of the preceding species except that they average a trifle smaller. Size 2.10 × 1.50.

Gulls are webbed footed birds having a slight hook to the end of the upper mandible. Their plumage is generally a silvery gray above and white below. They nest in large colonies, some on the islands of fresh water inland, but mostly on the sea coast. They procure their food from the surface of the water, it consisting mostly of dead fish and refuse matter, and crustacea which they gather from the waters edge. When tired they rest upon the surface of the water, where they ride the largest waves in perfect safety.

Terns are birds of similar plumage to the Gulls, but their forms are less robust and the bills are generally longer and sharply pointed. Their food consists chiefly of small fish which they secure by hovering above the water, and then plunging upon them. They are less often seen on the surface of the water than are the Gulls.

CHARACTERISTIC NEST OF A LOON.

Ivory Gull.Kittiwake.

39.Ivory Gull.Pagophila alba.

Range.--Arctic regions; south in winter to the northern border of the United States.

The little Snow Gull, as it is often called, is eighteen inches in length. In the breeding season the plumage is entirely white; the bill is tipped with yellow and there is a red ring around the eye. These Gulls nest in large colonies in the Arctic Regions, placing their nests on the high rocky cliffs. The nest is made of grass, moss and rubbish, and the three eggs are laid during June. The eggs are olive color and the markings are dark brown.

40.Kittiwake.Rissa tridactyla trydactyla.

Range.--North Atlantic and Arctic regions, breeding from the Gulf of the St. Lawrence northward and wintering south to the Great Lakes and Long Island.

The Kittiwake is sixteen inches in length, has a pearly gray mantle, black tips to the primaries, and remainder of plumage white. Its hind toe is very small being apparently wanting in the eastern form, while in the Pacific it is more developed. These are very noisy Gulls, their notes resembling a repetition of their name. They are very common in the far north, placing nests on the ledges of high rocky cliffs, often in company with Murres and Auks.

White.

They gather together a pile of sticks, grass and moss, making the interior cup-shaped so as to hold their two or three eggs. Large numbers of them breed on Bird Rock, they occupying certain ledges while the Gannets and Murres, which also breed there, also have distinct ledges on which to make their homes. The breeding season is at its height during June. The eggs are buffy or brownish gray and are spotted with different shades of brown. Size 2.25 × 1.60. Data.--So. Labrador, June 15, 1884. Three eggs. Nest made of seaweed and moss, placed on ledge of cliff. Many Murres nesting on other ledges.

Red-legged Kittiwake.Glaucus Gull.

40a.Pacific Kittiwake.Rissa tridactyla pollicaris.

Range.--Coast of the North Pacific, wintering south to California.

The Pacific Kittiwake breeds in immense rookeries on some of the islands in Bering Sea. They are well distributed over Copper Island where they nest in June and July, choosing the high ledges which overhang the sea. The nesting habits and eggs are precisely the same as those of the common Kittiwake.

41.Red-legged Kittiwake.Rissa brevirostris.

Range.--Northwestern coasts, breeding in high latitudes.

Brownish buff.

This Kittiwake is similar to the preceding, with the exception that the legs are bright red, the mantle is darker, and the bill is shorter. This species was found by Dr. Leonard Stejneger to be a very abundant nesting bird on islands in Bering Sea, selecting steep and inaccessible rocks and ledges on which to build its nest. Their nesting habits are precisely the same as the Pacific Kittiwake, but they most often nest in separate colonies, but can be distinguished readily when nesting together by the darker mantles when on the nest and the red legs when flying. Grass, moss and mud are used in the nest. The ground color of the eggs is buffy or brownish, and the spots are dark brown and lilac. Size 2.15 × 1.50.

42.Glaucous Gull.Larus hyperboreus.

Range.--Arctic regions, south in winter to Long Island, the Great Lakes, and San Francisco Bay.

This Gull shares with the Great Black-backed Gull the honor of being the largest of the Gulls, being 28 inches in length. Mantle light gray; it is distinguished by its size and the primaries, which are white to the tips. A powerful bird that preys upon the smaller Gulls and also devours the young and eggs of smaller birds.

They nest on the ground on the islands and shores of Hudson Bay, Greenland, etc. The nest is made of seaweed, grass and moss and is generally quite bulky. The two or three eggs are laid in June. They are of various shades of color from a light drab to a brownish, and are spotted with brownish and black. Size about 3.00 × 2.20.

42.1.Point Barrow Gull.Larus barrovianus.

Range.--Northwest coast from Bering Sea to Point Barrow.

White.

This species is almost identical with the Glaucus Gull, averaging perhaps a trifle smaller. Its standing as a distinct species is still questioned and has not yet been decided satisfactorily. Early in June their nests are built on remote islands in Bering Sea. These nests are the same as the last species, large piles of vegetation, hollowed on top for the reception of the eggs. The eggs have the same variations in color and markings as the Glaucus Gull. Size 3.00 × 2.10. Data.--Herschel Is., Alaska, July 1, 1900. Nest made of seaweed and grass; placed on the ground. Three eggs. Collector, Rev. I. O. Stringer.

13.Iceland Gull.Larus leucopterus.

Range.--Arctic regions, south in winter to the Middle States.

Greenish brown.

This Gull in appearance is precisely like the two preceding ones but is considerably smaller; 24 inches in length. A very common bird in the north, breeding in colonies of thousands on many of the islands. It is regarded as one of the most common of the larger Gulls in Bering Sea and also nests commonly in Hudson Bay and Greenland, as well as in the Eastern Hemisphere. They nest indifferently on high rocky cliffs or on low sandy islands. Except when the eggs are laid in a sandy depression in the soil, quite bulky nests are made of seaweed and moss. The eggs are laid about the first of June; they number two to three and have a ground color of brownish or greenish brown and are blotched with umber. Size 2.80 × 1.83. Data.--Mackenzie Bay, Arctic America. June 18, 1899. Nest made of seaweed and grass on an island in the bay.

Iceland Gull.Glaucous-winged Gull.

44.Glaucous-winged Gull.Larus glaucescens.

Range.--North Pacific coast, breeding from British Columbia northwards and wintering from the same country to southern California.

Pale greenish brown.

This Gull is very like the preceding except that the primaries are the same color as the mantle, and are tipped with white. Length about 27 inches. Not so northerly distributed a bird as the previous ones, and consequently better known. They breed in large numbers both on the high rocky cliffs of the islands along the coast and on the low sandy islands of the Aleutian Chain. On Copper Island they breed on the inaccessible cliffs overhanging the water. As in the case of the Iceland Gull, when the nests are on the cliffs, a large nest of seaweed is made, whereas if they are on the ground, especially in sandy places no attempt is made at nest-building. The eggs have a greenish brown ground color and dark brown spots. Size 2.75 × 2.05. Data.--West Coast of Vancouver Island. June 20, 1896. Three eggs; nest made of seaweed. Located on a low ledge. Collector, Dr. Newcombe.

45.Kumlien's Gull.Larus Kumlieni.

Range.--North Atlantic coast, breeding in Cumberland Sound and wintering as far south as Long Island.

This bird differs from the Glaucous-winged only in the pattern of the gray markings of the primaries and in having a little lighter mantle. It is quite common in its breeding haunts where it places its nest high up on the ledges of the cliffs. The eggs are not different apparently from glaucescens.

46.Nelson's Gull.Larus nelsoni.

Range.--Coast of Alaska.

Plumage exactly like that of Kumlien Gull and questionably a new species. The nests and eggs are not to be distinguished from the preceding.

47.Great- Black-Backed Gull.Larus marinus.

Great Black-Backed Gull.Kumlien's Gull.

Range.--North Atlantic on both the American and European sides; breeds from Nova Scotia northward and winters south to the Great Lakes and the Middle States.

Grayish buff.

The largest of the Gulls (thirty inches long) and unlike any other. The mantle is dark slaty black, and the primaries are black with white tips. The bill is very large and powerful and quite strongly hooked. They are quite abundant birds in their range, and are very quarrelsome, both among themselves and other species. They do not breed in as large colonies as do the other Gulls, half a dozen pairs appropriating a small island to the exclusion of all other birds. They are very rapacious birds and live to a great extent, especially during the breeding season, upon the eggs and young of other birds such as Ducks, Murres and smaller Gulls. They place their nests upon the higher portions of sandy islands. They are made of grasses and seaweed. The three eggs are laid early in June; they are grayish or brownish, spotted with brown and lilac. Size 3.00 × 2.15. Data.--South Labrador, June 21, 1884. Three eggs. Nest on a small island off the coast; of grasses and moss.

48.Slaty-backed Gull.--Larus schistisagus.

Range.--North Pacific and Arctic Oceans.

This Gull, which is similar to the Great Black-backed, but is smaller and has a lighter mantle, does not breed in any considerable numbers on the American side of the Pacific. It nests in June on some of the islands in Bering Sea and probably more commonly farther north. They often nest in company with other species, placing their small mounds of seaweed on the ground on the higher parts of the islands. The full set contains three eggs of grayish or brownish color, spotted with dark brown or black. Size 2.90 × 2.00. Data.--Harrowby Bay, N. W. T. Canada, June 11, 1901. Nest of grass, roots and mud and lined with dry grass; on point making into the bay. Collector, Capt. H. H. Bodfish.

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Western Gull.Herring Gull.

49.Western Gull.Larus occidentalis.

Range.--Pacific Coast, breeding from southern California to British Columbia.

This bird, which is the most southerly distributed of the larger Gulls is twenty-four inches in length. Mantle slate colored; primaries black, both these and the secondaries being broadly tipped with white. These Gulls nest abundantly on the Farallones, the majority of them showing a preference for the lower portions of the island, although they nest on the ledges also. Besides man, these Gulls are the greatest enemies that the Murres have to content against. They are always on the watch and if a Murre leaves its nest, one of the Gulls is nearly always ready to pounce upon the egg and carry it away bodily in his bill. The Gulls too suffer when the eggers come, for their eggs are gathered up with the Murres for the markets. They make their nests of weeds and grass, and during May and June lay three eggs showing the usual variations of color common to the Gulls eggs. Size 2.75 × 1.90.

50.Siberian Gull.Larus affinis.

This bird does not nest in North America, and has a place on our list, by its accidental occurrence in Greenland. It is an Old World species and its nesting habits and eggs are like those of the Herring Gull.

51.Herring Gull.Larus argentatus.

Range.--Whole of the Northern Hemisphere, breeding from Maine and British Columbia northward and wintering south to the Gulf.

Buff.

This Gull, which formerly was No. 51a, a subspecies of the European variety, is now regarded as identical with it, and is no longer a sub-species. It is twenty-four inches in length, has a light gray mantle and black primaries which are tipped with white. The Herring Gulls nest in colonies in favorable localities throughout their range, chiefly on the coasts and islands. A few pairs also nest on islands in some of the inland bodies of fresh water. Except in places where they are continually molested, when they will build in trees, they place their nests on the ground either making no nest on the bare sand, or building a bulky nest of seaweed in the grass on higher parts of the island. They lay three eggs of a grayish color marked with brown. In rare cases unspotted bluish white eggs are found. Size 2.80 × 1.70.

Ring-billed Gull.California Gull.

52.Vega Gull.Larus vegae.

Range.--Coast of Alaska, south in winter to California.

Similar to the Herring Gull, but with the mantle darker, but not so dark as in the Western Gull. The nesting habits and eggs are the same as those of the Herring Gull, except that in a series, the eggs of the Vega will average a little darker in ground color. It nests during May on the coasts and islands of Bering Sea, placing its eggs in a hollow on the ground. Size 2.75 × 1.65.

Grayish brown.

53.California Gull.Larus californicus.

Range.--Western North America, breeding in the interior.

A smaller Gull than the Herring with the primaries grayish instead of black; length twenty-five inches. This Gull is found in winter on the coast from British Columbia southward to Lower California, but nests in the interior from Utah northward. They nest very abundantly around the Great Salt Lake, placing their nests generally upon the bare ground. Sometimes there is a scant lining of grasses or weeds and again the nests will be situated in the midst of a tussock of grass. Three or four eggs generally constitute a set, but occasionally five are laid. The usual nesting time is during May. They show the same great variations in color and markings common to most of the Gulls. Size 2.60 × 1.80.

54.Ring-billed Gull.Larus delawarenis.

Range.--Whole of North America, breeding from the United States northward and wintering south to the Gulf States.

A small Gull, eighteen inches in length, with a light gray mantle, black primaries with white tips, and always to be distinguished in the breeding season by the black band around the middle of the greenish yellow bill. They nest in enormous colonies on islands in the interior of the country and in smaller colonies on the coasts. Thousands of them breed on the lakes of the Dakotas and northward. The majority of them nest on the ground, although on the coast they are often found on the cliffs. They commonly lay three eggs placing them in a slight hollow in the ground, generally on the grassy portions of the islands. The color varies from grayish to brownish, marked with brown and lilac. The height of the nesting season is in June. Size of eggs, 2.80 × 1.75.

Short-billed Gull.Heerman's Gull.

55.Short-billed Gull.Larus brachyrhynchus.

Range.--Breeds from the interior of British Columbia northward to Alaska; south in winter to Lower California.

The Short-billed or American Mew Gull is seventeen inches in length, has a short, stout bill and is otherwise similar to the preceding species. Nests on islands in the lakes and along the river banks of Alaska. The nest is made of grass, weeds and moss and is placed on the ground. Early in June the birds lay their set of three eggs, the ground color of which is greenish brown marked with dark brown. Size 2.25 × 1.60. Data.--Mackenzie River, N. W. T., June 18, 1900. Three eggs. Nest made of seaweed and grass and placed on the ground on an island in the river.

Pale greenish-brown.

56.Mew Gull.Larus canus.

This is the European variety of the above species, breeding commonly both in the British Isles and northern Europe. This species is given a place in our avifauna because of its accidental appearance in Labrador.

57.Heerman's Gull.Larus heermanni.

Range.--Pacific Coast of North America from British Columbia south to Panama, breeding chiefly south of the United States border.

A very handsome species, often called the White-headed Gull, and wholly unlike any other; length seventeen inches. Adults, in summer, have the entire head, neck and throat white, this shading quite abruptly into the slaty upper and under parts; the primaries and tail are black, the latter and the secondaries being tipped with white. The legs and bill are vermilion. They are found off the coast of California, but are not believed to breed there. They are known to breed on some of the islands off the Mexican coast nesting on the ground the same as the other species. The three eggs are greenish drab in color and are marked with different shades of brown and lilac. Size 2.45 × 1.50.

58.Laughing Gull.Larus atricilla.

Laughing Gull.

Range.--Eastern North America, breeding from the Gulf to Nova Scotia, chiefly on the coast. A beautiful Gull, 16 inches long, with a dark slate colored head, gray mantle, black primaries, and white neck, underparts and tail. Bill and feet red.

Pale grayish brown.

RING-BILLED GULL--Gray.

This bird has its name from its peculiar laughing cry when alarmed or angry; it is also called the Black-headed Gull. They nest by thousands on the islands off the Gulf Coast and along the South Atlantic States. The nest is placed on the ground and is made of seaweed. Three, four and sometimes five eggs are laid, of a grayish to greenish brown color, marked with brown and lilac. Size 2.25 × 1.60. Data.--Timbalin Is., La., June 3, 1896. Three eggs. Nest of drift grass thrown in a pile about 8 inches high, slightly hollowed on top, in low marsh back of beach. Collector, E. A. McIlhenny.

Franklin's Gull.Bonaparte's Gull.

59.Franklin's Gull.Larus franklini.

Range.--Interior North America, breeding from middle United States northward.

Grayish brown.

Like the last but smaller and with the primaries light. Underparts rosy in breeding season. Nests very abundantly in the marshes of Minnesota and northward. Nest made of grasses and placed in the marsh grass barely above the surface of the water. Eggs same color as the last but the markings more inclined to zigzag lines. Size 2.10 × 1.40. Data.--Heron Lake, Minn., May 26, 1885. Nest of wet sedge stalks and rubbish placed in a bunch of standing sedge in shallow water; at least five thousand birds in rookery. Collector, J. W. Preston.

60.Bonaparte's Gull.Larus philadelphia.

Pale grayish brown.

Range.--Breeds in the northern parts of North America; winters from Maine and British Columbia to the southern border of the United States.

Smaller than the last; 14 inches long. Plumage similar, but bill slender and black. They nest in great numbers on the marshes of Manitoba and to the northward. The nests, of sticks and grass, are placed on the higher parts of the marsh and the usual complement of three eggs is laid during the latter part of June. The eggs are grayish to greenish brown, marked with dark brown and lilac. Size 1.90 × 1.30.

60.1.Little Gull.Larus minutus.

Rose Gull.Sabine Gull.

This Gull is the smallest of the family; it is a European bird, and has accidentally strayed to our shores but a few times. Its plumage is similar to that of the Bonaparte Gull but the bill is red. It breeds in the marshes around the Baltic Sea, placing its nest of dead vegetation on the highest parts of the marsh. They lay three eggs of a greenish gray color marked with dark brown and lilac. Size 1.75 × 1.25.

61.Roses Gull.Rhodostethia rosea.

Range.--The Arctic regions, south in winter to Alaska, Greenland, northern Europe and Asia.

This beautiful bird is the most rare of all the Gulls, being very difficult to obtain because of its extreme northerly distribution. It is in form and plumage like Bonaparte Gull, with the exceptions that the head is white, there being a narrow black collar around the neck, the tail is wedge shaped, and the whole under parts from the chin to the tail are rosy in the breeding plumage. The nests and eggs remain still undiscovered, although Nansen, in August 1896, found a supposed breeding ground in Franz Josef Land, because of the numbers of the birds, but found no nests.

62.Sabine's Gull.Xema sabinii.

Range.--Arctic regions, breeding from Alaska and Greenland and northward, and wintering south to New England.

Greenish brown.

A handsome bird, having the slaty hood bordered behind with a black ring, the primaries black, white tipped, and the tail slightly forked. They breed abundantly on the marshes of northern Alaska and Greenland, nesting the same as others of the species. The two or three eggs are laid in June. They are greenish brown in color and are marked with dark brown. Size 1.75 × 1.25. Data.--Hudson Bay, August 1, 1894. Eggs laid on the ground in the moss; no nest except the hollow in the moss.

63.Gull-billed Tern.Gelochelidon nilotica.

Pale greenish buff.

Range.--Found in North America along the Gulf Coast and on the Atlantic Coast north to Virginia and casually farther.

This is one of the largest of the Terns, is 14 inches long, has a short, thick, black bill and a short slightly forked tail; the crown is black, mantle pearly gray, white below. This species is very widely distributed, being found in Europe, Australia, Asia and Africa. They are known locally as "Marsh Terns" where they breed in immense numbers on some of the marshes about the Gulf, particularly in Texas. They also breed on many of the islands along the Coast, rarely making any nest, but laying the eggs in a hollow in the sand. They nest most abundantly in the latter part of May, generally laying three eggs. They are of a yellowish, grayish or greenish buff color and are spotted with brown and lilac. Size 1.80 × 1.30. Data.--Northampton Co., Va., May 28, 1882. Three eggs laid on a mass of seaweed on marsh above tide water.

64.Caspian Tern.Sterna caspia.

Range.--Like the preceding species, this bird is nearly cosmopolitan in its range, in North America breeding from the Gulf Coast and Texas northward to the Arctic Regions.

Grayish buff.

This beautiful bird is the largest of the Tern family, being about 22 inches in length, with the tail forked about 1.5 inches. The bill is large, heavy and bright red; the crest, with which this and the next three species are adorned, is black. The mantle is pale pearl and the under parts white. These Terns sometimes nest in large colonies and then again only a few pairs will be found on an island. In Texas, the breeding season commences in May, it being later in the more northern breeding grounds. They may be regarded as largely eastern birds, as while they are common in the interior of the country, they are rarely found on the Pacific Coast. Two or three eggs constitute a complete set; these are laid on the sand in a slight hollow scooped out by the birds. They vary from gray to greenish buff, marked with brown and lilac. Size 2.60 × 1.75. Data.--Hat Island, Lake Michigan, July 1, 1896. No nest. Two eggs in a hollow in the gravel. Fully a thousand terns nesting on about one acre. Collector, Charles L. Cass.

Gull-billed Tern.Caspian Tern.Royal Tern.

65.Royal Tern.Sterna maxima.

Range.--Temperate North and South America, breeding in the United States locally from Texas and the Gulf States northward to the northern boundary of the United States.

Grayish buff.

The Royal Terns nest in great numbers on the coasts and islands on the South Atlantic and Gulf States and in the marshes of southern Texas. Like the former species they lay two or three eggs in a hollow on the bare sand. The eggs are the same size but differ in being more pointed and having a lighter ground and with the markings more bold and distinct. Size 2.60 × 1.70.

66.Elegant Tern.Sterna elegans.

Cream color.

Range.--Pacific Coast of South and Central America; north to California in summer.

A similar bird to the Royal Tern, but easily distinguished by its smaller size, slender bill, and more graceful form. In the breeding plumage the under parts of these Terns are tinged with rosy, which probably first gave the birds their name. They breed on the coasts and islands of Mexico and Central America, placing their eggs on the sand. They are believed to lay but a single egg, like that of the Royal Tern, but smaller. Size 2.40 × 1.40. Data.--Honduras, Central America, June 5, 1899. Single egg laid on the sandy beach.

Elegant Tern.Cabot's Tern.

67.Cabot Tern.Sterna sandvicensis acuflavida.

Range.--A tropical species breeding regularly north to the Bahamas and Florida; casually farther north.

Cream color.

A beautiful bird distinguished from the three preceding ones by its smaller size (sixteen inches) and by the bill which is black with a yellow tip. They nest in colonies on the shores of islands in the West Indies and Bahamas, but not to a great extent on the United States Coast. Their two or three eggs have a creamy ground color, and are boldly marked with brown and black. Size 2.10 × 1.40.

68.Trudeau's Tern.Sterna trudeaui.

Range.--South America; accidentally along the coast of the United States.

A rare and unique species with a form similar to the following, but with the coloration entirely different. About fifteen inches in length; tail long and deeply forked; bill yellow with a band of black about the middle. Whole head pure white, shading into the pearly color of the upper and under parts. A narrow band of black through the eye and over the ear coverts. A very rare species that is supposed to breed in southern South America. Given a place among North American birds on the strength of a specimen seen by Audubon off Long Island.

Forsters Tern.Common Tern.

69.Forster's Tern.Sterna forsteri.

Range.--Temperate North America, breeding from Manitoba, Mass., and California, south to the Gulf Coast and Texas.

Length about fifteen inches; tail long and deeply forked; crown black, back and wings pearl and under parts white. Bill orange red. This species and the three following are the most graceful of birds in appearance and flight. Their movements can only be likened to those of the Swallows, from which they get the name of "Sea Swallows." Their food consists of fish, which they get by diving, and marine insects. They breed by thousands in the marshes from Manitoba to Texas and along the South Atlantic coast. The eggs are laid in a hollow on the dry grassy portions of the islands or marshes. They generally lay three eggs and rarely four. They are buffy or brownish spotted with dark brown and lilac. Size 1.80 × 1.30. Data.--Cobb's Island, Va., June 8, 1887. Eggs in a hollow on grassy bank. Collector, F. H. Judson.

Brownish buff.

70.Common Tern.Sterna hirundo.

Range.--Eastern North America, breeding both on the coast and in the interior from the Gulf States northward.

Buff.

This bird differs from the preceding chiefly in having a bright red bill tipped with black, and the under parts washed with pearl. These are the most common Terns on the New England coast, nesting abundantly from Virginia to Newfoundland. These beautiful Terns, together with others of the family, were formerly killed by thousands for millinery purposes, but the practice is now being rapidly stopped. In May and June they lay their three, or sometimes four eggs on the ground as do the other Terns. They are similar to the preceding species but average shorter. Data.--Duck Is., Maine, June 30, 1896. Three eggs in marsh grass about fifty feet from beach. No nest. Collector, C. A. Reed.

71.Arctic Tern.Sterna paradisaea.

Arctic Tern.Roseate Tern.Aleutian Tern.

Range.--Northern Hemisphere, breeding from New England northward to the Arctic Regions and wintering south to California and the South Atlantic States. A similar bird to the last, differing in having the bill wholly red and the feet being smaller and weak for the size of the bird. A more northern bird than the last, breeding abundantly in Alaska, both on the coast and in the interior. In the southern limits of its breeding range, it nests in company with the Common Tern, its nests and eggs being indistinguishable from the latter. When their nesting grounds are approached, all the birds arise like a great white cloud, uttering their harsh, discordant "tearrr, tearrr," while now and then an individual, bolder than the rest, will swoop close by with an angry "crack." On the whole they are timid birds, keeping well out of reach. The nesting season is early in June. Eggs like the preceding. Data.--Little Duck Is., Me., June 29, 1896. Three eggs in a slight hollow on the beach, three feet above high water mark.

72.Roseate Tern.Sterna dougalli.

Range.--Temperate North America on the east coast, breeding from New England to the Gulf.

Grayish or Brownish.

These are the most beautiful birds, having a delicate pink blush on the under parts during the breeding season; the tail is very long and deeply forked, the outer feathers being over five inches longer than the middle ones; the bill is red with a black tip. They nest in large colonies on the islands from Southern New England southward, placing the nests in the short grass, generally without any lining. They lay two or three eggs which are indistinguishable from the two preceding species.

73.Aleutian Tern.Sterna aleutica.

Range.--Found in summer in Alaska and the Aleutian Islands.

South in winter to Japan. This handsome Tern is of the form and size of the Common Tern, but has a darker mantle, and the forehead is white, leaving a black line from the bill to the eye. They nest on islands off the coast of Alaska, sometimes together with the Arctic Tern. The eggs are laid upon the bare ground or moss, and are similar to the Arctic Terns, but average narrower. They are two or three in number and are laid in June and July. Size 1.70 × 1.15. Data.--Stuart Is., Alaska. Three eggs in a slight hollow in the moss.

Least Tern.Sooty Tern.

74.Least Tern.Sterna antillarum.

Range.--From northern South America to southern New England, Dakota and California, breeding locally throughout its range.

These little Sea Swallows are the smallest of the Terns, being but 9 inches in length. They have a yellow bill with a black tip, a black crown and nape, and white forehead. Although small, these little Terns lose none of the grace and beauty of action of their larger relatives.

Light buff.

They nest in colonies on the South Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, placing their eggs upon the bare sand, where they are sometimes very difficult to see among the shells and pebbles. They are of a grayish or buffy color spotted with umber and lilac. They number two, three and rarely four, and are laid in May and June. Size 1.25 × .95. Data.--DeSota Beach, Fla., May 20, 1884. Three eggs laid on the sandy beach. Collector, Chas. Graham.

75.Sooty Tern.Sterna fuscata.

Creamy white.

Range.--Tropical America, north to the South Atlantic States. This species measures 17 inches in length; it has a brownish black mantle, wings and tail, except the outer feathers of the latter which are white; the forehead and under parts are white, the crown and a line from the eye to the bill, black. This tropical species is very numerous at its breeding grounds on the small islands of the Florida Keys and the West Indies. They lay but a single egg, generally placing it on the bare ground, or occasionally building a frail nest of grasses. The egg has a pinkish white or creamy ground and is beautifully sprinkled with spots of reddish brown and lilac. They are laid during May. Size 2.05 × 1.45. Data.--Clutheria Key, Bahamas, May 28, 1891. Single egg laid on bare ground near water. Collector, D. P. Ingraham.

Black Tern.Noddy.Black Skimmer.

76.Bridled Tern.Sterna anaetheta.

Range.--Found in tropical regions of both hemispheres; casual or accidental in Florida. This Tern is similar to the last except that the nape is white and the white of the forehead extends in a line over the eye.

Creamy white.

The Bridled Tern is common on some of the islands of the West Indies and the Bahamas, nesting in company with the Sooty Terns and Noddies. The single egg is laid on the seashore or among the rocks. It is creamy white beautifully marked with brown and lilac. Size 1.85 × 1.25. Data.--Bahamas, May 9, 1892. Single egg laid in a cavity among the rocks. Collector, D. P. Ingraham.

77.Black Tern.Hydrochelidon nigra surinamensis.

Range.--Temperate America, breeding from the middle portions of the United States northward to Alaska; south in winter beyond the United States Border.

The identity of these Terns cannot be mistaken. They are but ten inches in length; the whole head, neck and under parts are black; the back, wings and tail are slaty and the under tail coverts are white. Their dainty figure with their long slender wings gives them a grace and airiness, if possible, superior to other species of the family.

Deep greenish brown.

They are very active and besides feeding upon all manner of marine crustacea, they capture many insects in the air. They nest in large colonies in marshes, both along the coast and in the interior, making a nest of decayed reeds and grasses, or often laying their eggs upon rafts of decayed vegetation which are floating on the water. The nesting season commences in May, they laying three eggs of a brownish or greenish color, very heavily blotched with blackish brown. Size 1.35 × .95. Data.--Winnebago City, Minn., May 31, 1901. Three eggs. Nest made of a mass of weeds and rushes floating on water in a swamp. Collector, R. H. Bullis.

Greenish buff.

78.White-winged Black Tern.Hydrochelidon leucoptera.

Range.--Eastern Hemisphere, its addition to American birds being made because of the accidental appearance of one bird in Wisconsin in 1873. They nest very abundantly among the lakes and marshes of southern Europe, placing their eggs the same as the American species, upon masses of decayed reeds and stalks.

Buff.

They lay three eggs which have a somewhat brighter appearance than the common Black Terns because of a somewhat lighter ground color.

79.Noddy.Anous stolidus.

Range.--Tropical America, north to the Gulf and South Atlantic States.

Noddy.

A peculiar but handsome bird (about fifteen inches long), with a silvery white head and the rest of the plumage brownish, and the tail rounded.

They breed in abundance on some of the Florida Keys, the West Indies and the Bahamas.

Their nests are made of sticks and grass, and are placed either in trees or on the ground. They lay but a single egg with a buffy or cream colored ground spotted with chestnut and lilac. Size 2.00 × 1.30. Atwood's Key, Bahamas, June 1, 1891. Nest made of sticks and grasses, three feet up a mangrove. Collector, D. P. Ingraham.

Skimmers are Tern-like birds having a very strangely developed bill. The lower mandible is much longer than the upper and very thin, the upper edge being as sharp as the lower. The lower mandible is rounded at the end while the upper is more pointed. Young Skimmers are said to have both mandibles of the same length, the abnormal development not appearing until after flight. Skimmers are very graceful birds, and, as implied by their name, they skim over the surface of the water, rising and falling with the waves, and are said to pick up their food by dropping the lower mandible below the surface, its thin edge cutting the water like a knife. There are four species of Skimmers, only one of which is found in North America.

80.Black Skimmer.Rynchops nigra.

Buffy yellow.

Range.--The South Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, breeding from New Jersey southward. The Black Skimmer is about eighteen inches in length, and besides the remarkable bill is a bird of striking plumage; the forehead, ends of the secondaries, tail feathers and under parts are white; the rest of the plumage is black and the basal half of the bill is crimson. Skimmers nest in large communities, the same as do the Terns, laying their eggs in hollows in the sand. They are partially nocturnal in their habits and their hoarse barking cries may be heard after the shadows of night have enveloped the earth. Fishermen call them by the names of "Cut-water" and "Sea Dog." The nesting season commences in May and continues through June and July. They lay from three to five eggs, having a creamy or yellowish buff ground, blotched with black, chestnut and lilac. Size 1.75 × 1.30. Data.--Cobb's Is., Va., June 8, 1894. Three eggs laid in a hollow on the beach. No nest.

Black-footed Albatross.Short-tailed Albatross.

Albatrosses are the largest of the sea birds and have an enormous expanse of wing, the Wandering Albatross, the largest of the family, sometimes attaining an expanse of fourteen feet. Their nostrils consist of two slightly projecting tubes, one on each side near the base of the bill. They are unsurpassed in powers of flight, but are only fair swimmers and rarely, if ever, dive, getting their food, which consists of dead animal matter, from the surface of the water.

81.Black-footed Albatross.Diomedea nigripes.

Range.--North Pacific from California northward. This Albatross is thirty-two inches in length; it is of a uniform sooty brown color shading into whitish at the base of the bill, which is rounded. Like the other members of the family, this species is noted for its extended flights, following vessels day after day without any apparent period of rest, for the purpose of feeding on the refuse that is thrown overboard. They breed during our winter on some of the small isolated islands in the extreme southern portions of the globe. They lay a single white egg on the bare ground.

82.Short-tailed Albatross.Diomedea albatrus.

Range.--North Pacific Ocean in summer, from Lower California to Alaska. With the exception of the Wandering Albatross, which is now regarded as doubtful as occurring off our coasts, the Short-tailed Albatross is one of the largest of the group, measuring thirty-six inches in length, and has an extent of seven feet or more. With the exception of the black primaries, shoulders and tail, the entire plumage is white, tinged with straw color on the back of the head. They breed on the guano islands in the North Pacific off the coasts of Alaska and Japan. They lay a single white egg on the bare ground or rocks. As with the other members of the family, the eggs are extremely variable in size, but average about 4.25 × 2.50.

82.1.Laysan Albatross.Diomedea immutabilis.

Laysan Albatross.Yellow-nosed Albatross.Sooty Albatross.

Range.--Laysan Island of the Hawaiian Group, appearing casually off the coast of California. This species breeds in large numbers on the island from which it takes its name. The birds are white with the exception of the back, wings and tail, which are black. The birds, having been little molested in their remote island, are exceedingly tame, and it is possible to go among the sitting birds without disturbing them. Mr. Walter K. Fisher has contributed an admirable report on this species in the 1913 Bulletin of the Fish Commission, the report being illustrated with numerous illustrations of the birds from photos by the author. Their single white eggs are laid on the bare ground.

83.Yellow-nosed Albatross.Thalassogeron culminatus.

This is a species which inhabits the South Pacific and Indian Oceans, and is said to rarely occur on the California coast. They breed during our winter on some of the small islands and during our summer are ocean wanderers. An egg in the collection of Col. John E. Thayer was taken on Gough Island, South Atlantic Ocean; Sept. 1st, 1888. The nest was a mound of mud and grass about two feet in height. The single white egg measured 3.75 × 2.25. It was collected by George Comer.

84.Sooty Albatross.Phoebetria-palpebrata.

Range.--Southern seas, north in our summer along the Pacific coast of the United States.

This species is entirely sooty brown except the white eyelids. It is similar to the Black-footed Albatross from which species it can be distinguished in all plumages by the narrow base of the bill, while the bill of the former species is broad and rounded. They breed commonly on isolated islands in many quarters of the southern hemisphere. Sometimes this species constructs a mound of mud on which to deposit its single white egg, and also often lays it on the bare ground or rock. A specimen in Mr. Thayer's collection, taken by Geo. Comer on So. Georgia Is. in the South Atlantic ocean, was laid in a hollow among loose stones on the ledge of an overhanging cliff. Size 4.10 × 2.75.

EGG OF SOOTY ALBATROSS--White.

Fulmars, Shearwaters and Petrels are Gull-like birds with two nostril tubes located side by side, in a single tube, on the top of the bill at its base.

The Fulmars are mostly northern birds while the majority of the Shearwaters nest in the extreme south during our winter, and appear off our coasts during the summer. Their food consists of fish or offal which they get from the surface of the water; large flocks of them hover about fishermen, watching their chance to get any food which falls, or is thrown, overboard.

Fulmar.

85.Giant Fulmar.Macronectes gigantea.

Range.--This Petrel is a native of the southern seas and is only casually met with off the Pacific coast.

It is the largest of the family, being about three feet in length, and is normally a uniform sooty color, although it has light phases of plumage. They nest in December on many of the islands south of Africa and South America, laying their single white egg on the bare rocks.

86.Fulmar.Fulmarus glacialis glacialis.

Range.--North Atlantic coasts from New England northward, breeding from Hudson Bay and southern Greenland northward.

This bird which is 19 inches in length, in the light phase has a plumage very similar to that of the larger Gulls. They nest by thousands on rocky islands of the north, often in company with Murres and Gulls. Owing to the filthy habits of the Fulmars, these breeding grounds always have a nauseating odor, which is also imparted to, and retained by the egg shell. Their single white eggs are laid on the bare rocks, in crevices of the cliffs, often hundreds of feet above the water. Size 2.90 × 2.00. Data.--St. Kilda, off Scotland. June 5, 1897. Single egg laid on rock on side of sea cliff. Collector, Angus Gillies.

Pacific Fulmar.Slender-billed Fulmar.

86b.Pacific Fulmar.Fulmarus glacialis glupischa.

This sub-species of the preceding, has a darker mantle than the common Fulmar; it is found on the northern Pacific coasts where it breeds on the high rocky cliffs, the same as its eastern relative. They nest in large colonies, every crevice in the rocks having its tenant. Their flight is graceful like that of the Gulls, which they closely resemble. They lay but a single white egg, the average dimensions of which are slightly smaller than those of the common Fulmar. Data.--Copper Is., Alaska. May 14, 1889. Egg laid in a crevice among the cliffs.

86.1.Rodger's Fulmar.Fulmarus rodgers.

Range.--North Pacific, breeding in large numbers on some of the islands in Bering Sea; south to California in winter. Very similar to the two preceding species except that the back is mixed with whitish, it is not believed to have a dark phase. Their breeding habits and eggs do not differ from the common Fulmar. The eggs are laid on the rocky cliffs during June.

87.Slender-billed Fulmar.Priocella glacialoides.

Range.--Southern seas, appearing on the Pacific coast of the United States in the summer. This species has a paler mantle than the others of the family, and the primaries are black. The make-up and plumage of the whole bird is more like that of the Gulls than any of the others. They probably breed in the far south during our winter, although we have no definite data relative to their nesting habits.

Cory Shearwater.Greater Shearwater.

88.Cory's Shearwater.Puffinus borealis.

This species probably breeds in the far south. It has been found only off the coast of Massachusetts and Long Island. This is the largest of our Shearwaters, and can be distinguished from the next species by its wholly white underparts, its light mantle and yellowish bill. We have no data relative to its nesting habits.

89.Greater Shearwater.Puffinus gravis.

Range.--The whole of the Atlantic Ocean.

Thousands of them spend the latter part of the summer off the New England coast, where they are known to the fishermen as Haglets. Their upper parts are brownish gray, darker on the wings; bill and feet dark; underparts white, with the middle of the belly and the under tail covers dusky. Length about 20 inches. Little is known concerning their nesting quarters, although they are said to breed in Greenland. From the fact of their early appearance off the New England coast it is probable that the greater part of them nest in the far south.

90.Manx Shearwater.Puffinus puffinus.

This species inhabits the North Atlantic ocean chiefly on the European side, being abundant in the Mediterranean and in the British Isles.

Audubon's Shearwater.

Thesebirds deposit their single pure white eggs in crevices among the cliffs, on the ground or in burrows dug by themselves. Size of egg 2.35 × 1.60. Data.--Isle of Hay, North Scotland. June 1, 1893. Single egg laid at the end of a three foot burrow.

Egg of Audubon's Shearwater--White.

91.Pink-footed Shearwater.Puffinus creatopus.

Pink-footed Shearwater.Black-vented Shearwater.Townsend's Shearwater.

Range.--Pacific Ocean, north on American side to California in summer.

This species, whose breeding habits are little known, is similar in size and color to the Greater Shearwater, differing chiefly in the yellowish bill and pinkish colored feet.

92.Audubon's Shearwater.Puffinus lherminieri.

Range.--Middle Atlantic, ranging north in late summer to Long Island.

This bird, having a length of but twelve inches, is the smallest of the Shearwaters found along our coasts. Large colonies of them breed on some of the small islands and keys of the West Indies and Bahamas, and not so commonly in the Bermudas. Their eggs, which are pure white, are deposited at the end of burrows dug by the birds. Size of egg 2.00 × 1.35. Their nesting season commences about the latter part of March and continues through April and May. After the young are able to fly, like other members of the family, the birds become ocean wanderers and stray north to southern New England. Data.--Bahamas, April 13, 1891. Single egg laid at the end of a burrow about two feet in length. Collector, D. P. Ingraham.

92.1.Allied Shearwater.Puffinus assimilis.

This is an Australian and New Zealand species that has accidentally strayed to the shores of Nova Scotia.

93.Black-vented Shearwater.Puffinus opisthomelas.

Range.--Middle Pacific coast of the Americas, north in late summer along the coast of California. This species breeds commonly on the islands off the coast of Lower California, especially on the Gulf side. Their single egg is white, size 2.00 × 1.30, and is located at the end of a burrow. Data.--Natividad Is., Lower California, April 10, 1897. Single egg laid on the sand at the end of a burrow six feet in length. Collector, A. W. Anthony.

93.1.Townsend's Shearwater.Puffinus auricularis.

This bird ranges from Cape St. Lucas, south along the Pacific coast of Mexico, breeding on the Revillagigedo Islands off the Mexican coast.

Sooty Shearwater.

94.Sooty Shearwater.Puffins fuliginosus.

Range.--A common species off the Atlantic coast in summer; breeds along our northern coasts, and it is also supposed that many of them nest in southern seas and reach our coasts early in the summer. These Shearwaters are entirely sooty gray, being somewhat lighter below. They are called "black haglets" by the fishermen, whose vessels they follow in the hope of procuring bits of refuse. They commonly nest in burrows in the ground, but are also said to build in fissures among the ledges. Their single white egg measures 2.55 × 1.75. Data.--Island in Ungava Bay, northern Labrador, June 14, 1896. Egg laid in a fissure of a sea cliff. Collector, A. N. McFord.

Dark-bodied Shearwater.Slender-billed Shearwater.

95.Dark-bodied Shearwater.Puffinus griseus.

This is a southern species which, after having nested on islands in the far south during our winter, comes north and appears off the Pacific coast of the United States during the summer. It is a similar bird to the Sooty Shearwater, but is considerably darker and the under coverts are whitish. Their nesting habits are the same as those of other members of the family. Size of egg, 2.40 × 1.65. Data.--Stewart's Island, New Zealand, February 15, 1896. Single egg at the end of a long burrow.

96.Slender-billed Shearwater.Puffinus tenuirostris.

Range.--Northern Pacific Ocean in the summer, extending from Japan and Alaska southward. Supposed to breed in the southern hemisphere, as well as probably on some of the Aleutians in Alaska.

96.1.Wedge-tailed Shearwater.Puffinus cuneatus.

Range.--North Pacific, breeding on the Revillagigedo Islands off the coast of Mexico, and probably on some of the small islands in the Gulf of California.

97.Black-tailed Shearwater.Priofinus cinerus.

This is a Shearwater which inhabits the southern hemisphere, but which has accidentally wandered to the Pacific coast of the United States. It is dark above and whitish below, with black under tail coverts. It breeds in the far south.

Black-capped Petrel.Scaled Petrel.Fisher's Petrel.

98.Black-capped Petrel.Æstrelata hasitata.

This is not a common species; it is an inhabitant of tropical seas and has only been casually found on our coasts or inland. It is a handsome species with white forehead, underparts and nape with a small isolated black cap on the crown; the rest of the upper parts are blackish. It is a native of the West Indies.

99.Scaled Petrel.Æstrelata scalaris.

This is another rare species which is an inhabitant of southern seas. A single specimen taken in New York State gives it a claim as a doubtful North American species. It is a handsome bird, the feathers of the grayish upperparts being edged with white, thus giving it the appearance of being barred. Its eggs have only been known to science within the past few years. Data.--Preservation Inlet, New Zealand, June 7, 1900. Single white egg. Size 2.40 × 1.75. Collector, P. Seymour. Parent bird taken with the egg.

100.Fisher's Petrel.Æstralata fisheri.

This is a handsome bird known only from the type specimen taken off Kadiak Is., Alaska, by Mr. Fisher.

101.Bulwer's Petrel.Bulweria bulweri.

An eastern Atlantic species which is only an accidental visitant to our shores. They breed on the Madeira Islands where the eggs are laid in crevices among the rocks or in burrows in the ground. Size 1.75 × 1.55, white.

102.Pintado Petrel.Daption capensis.

This is the Cape Pigeon of the southern hemisphere. It has only accidentally occurred on our coast.

Least Petrel.Stormy Petrel.Forked-tailed Petrel.

103.Least Petrel.Halocyptena microsoma.

Range.--Pacific coast of America from Lower California to Panama. The Least Petrel is the smallest of this family, in length measuring only 5.75 inches. Their plumage is entirely dark sooty. They have been found breeding on San Benito Island, Lower California, and they probably do on others farther south. The single egg that this bird lays is white with a wreath of fine black specks around one and sometimes both ends. Data.--San Benito Is., Lower California, June 12, 1897. No nest, the egg being simply laid on the bare rock in a crevice. Size 1.00 × .75. Collector, A. W. Anthony.

104.Storm Petrel.Thalassidroma pelagica.

North Atlantic Ocean chiefly on the European side, wintering south to New Brunswick. Smallest of the white rumped, black petrels; 5.75 inches in length.

White.

This species is the originally called "Mother Cary's Chicken" by the sailors. They nest abundantly on many of the islands off the coasts of Europe and the British Isles, laying their single egg either in burrows or crevices among the cliffs. Data.--Coast of County Kerry, Ireland, June 1, 1895. Single egg laid at the end of burrow in a sea cliff. Size 1.05 × .80; white with a wreath of very fine dots about the larger end. Collector, G. H. McDonald.

105.Forked-tailed Petrel.Oceanodroma furcata.

Range.--North Pacific from California to Alaska, breeding in the Aleutians.

These birds have a plumage of bluish gray, the wings being darker and the underparts lightest. The nests are made in burrows or crevices in the banks. Data.--Uniak Is., Alaska, June 10, 1900. No nest. Single egg laid at the end of a burrow. Several pairs nesting near. Egg white with a fine wreath of purplish black specks about the large end. Size 1.25 × .95.

Kæding's Petrel.Leach's Petrel.Guadalupe Petrel.

105.2.Kæding's Petrel.Oceanodroma kædingi.

This bird is similar to Leach Petrel, but is smaller and the tail is less deeply forked. Its range is from California to Panama breeding on the Revillagigedo Islands off Mexico.

106.Leach's Petrel.Oceanodroma leucorhoa.

Range.--North Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans, breeding from Maine and from the Farallones, northward to Greenland and the Aleutians.

These are the most common of the Petrels found on our coast; they are eight inches in length, of a sooty brown color, and have a white rump. The forked tail will at once distinguish them from any of the Atlantic Petrels. They nest in burrows in the ground, laying a pure white egg, sometimes with a very faint dusty wreath about the larger end. Size 1.20 × .95. These birds generally take turns in the task of incubation, one remaining at sea during the day and returning at night while his mate takes her turn roving the briny deep in search of food.

White.

The young are fed by regurgitation upon an oily fluid which has a very offensive odor. This odor is always noticeable about an island inhabited by Petrels and is always retained by the eggs or skins of these birds. They are very rarely seen flying in the vicinity of their nesting island during the day; the bird that is on the nest will remain until removed by hand. Data.--Pumpkin Is., Maine, June 22, 1893. Single egg; nest of a few grasses at the end of a burrow dug in the bank. Collector, J. Lefavour.

White, nest stained.

106.1Guadalupe Petrel.Oceanodroma macrodactyla.

This species, which is very similar to the preceding, except for a longer and more deeply forked tail, breeds on Guadalupe Is. Their eggs are white very minutely wreathed with reddish brown; they are, however, nearly always nest stained to an uneven brownish color. Data.--Guadalupe Is., Lower California, March 24, 1897. Single egg laid on a few oak leaves and pine needles at the end of a three foot burrow. Size of egg 1.40 × 1.00. Collector, A. W. Anthony.

Black Petrel.Ashy Petrel.

107.Black Petrel.Oceanodroma melania.

Range.--South Pacific, from southern California southward, breeding on the small islands on both coasts of Lower California. They are similar to the Leach's Petrel except that the rump is blackish. Data.--San Benito Is., Lower California, July 23, 1896. White egg laid on bare ground at the end of three foot burrow. Size 1.40 × 1. Collector, A. W. Anthony.

108.Ashy Petrel.Oceanodroma homochroa.

Range.--California coast, breeding on the Farallones and Santa Barbara Islands.

This species, while not common, nests in all manner of localities on the Farallones, concealing their eggs under any rock or in any crevice that may attract their fancy. Their single white egg is only faintly if at all wreathed with fine dust-like specks of reddish brown. Size 1.15 × .86. Data.--Farallone Is., California, June 12, 1895. Egg laid on sand in crevice at the base of a stone wall; well concealed. Collector, Chester Barlow.

108.1.Socorro Petrel.Oceanodroma socorroensis.

Breeds on Socorro, San Benito and Coronado Islands, placing its eggs at the end of burrow. Data.--San Benito Is., Lower California, July 12, 1897. Single egg at the end of a burrow 3 feet in length. Egg pure white very finely wreathed with pale reddish brown. Size 1.15 × .87. Collector, A. W. Anthony.

Wilson's Petrel.White-billed Petrel.White-faced Petrel.

109.Wilson's Petrel.Oceanites oceanicus.

Breeds in the southern hemisphere in February and March and spends the summer off the Atlantic coast as far north as Newfoundland. This species can be distinguished from Leach Petrel by its square tail and from the Stormy Petrel by its large size and yellow webs to its feet. These birds are the greatest wanderers of the genus, being found at different seasons in nearly all quarters of the globe. Their single egg is white. Size 1.25 × .90.

110.White-bellied Petrel.Fregetta grallaria.

A small species (length about 7.5 inches) inhabiting southern seas. Recorded once at Florida. General plumage blackish. Upper tail coverts, bases of tail feathers, under wing coverts, and abdomen, white.

111.White-faced Petrel.Pelagodroma marina.

Range.--Southern seas, accidentally north to the coast of Massachusetts. This beautiful species is of about the same size as the Leach's Petrel. It has bluish gray upper parts; the whole under parts, as well as the forehead and sides of head, are white.

White.

These birds have the same characteristics as do others of the species, pattering over the water with their feet as they skim over the crests and troughs of the waves. They are not uncommon in the waters about New Zealand where they breed. Their single eggs are about the same as Leach's Petrel, are brilliant white and are, very strongly, for a Petrel egg, wreathed about the large end with dots of reddish brown. Size 1.32 × .90. Data.--Chatham Is., New Zealand, January 7, 1901. Egg laid at end of a burrow. Collector, J. Lobb. This egg is in Mr. Thayer's collection.

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