LARUS HUT CH IN SII .
Hi: TOM IN S' G U L I l
LARUS HUTCHINSII. Rich. Fauna Bor. Amor., p. 419.—Cassin. Proc. Acad. Nat. Scien; (1862), p. 325. Codes.
Mon. Land., Proc. Acad. Nat. Scien. (1862), p. 294.
Hutchins’ Gull is introduced into the avi-fauna of the United States, through an example which was killed in midwinter in Washington
County, New York, while in the act of feeding upon a dead sheep. This specimen is the original of my plate, and was kindly
lent to me for the purpose of appearing in this work, by the Secretaries of the Smithsonian Institution, in whose care it was placed by
its captor.
The habitat o f the species appears to be the North Pacific ocean, and Arctic America, as Mr. -Stimpson, when attached to the
Exploring Expedition under Capt. Rodgers, U. S. N., obtained some examples in Behring Straits.
It is a rather singular instance that this bird should have wandered so far from its accustomed haunts as to reach the State of New
York, particularly as it has never been obtained within our limits on the Pacific coast.
Richardson in a foot note on page 419 o f the Fauna Boreali Americana, says, “Mr. Hutchins describes a pure white Gull, which
breeds on the Albany River, as larger than our Ivory Gull, being twenty seven inches and a half in length, five feet from tip to tip of
the wings, and weighing two pounds. Its bill and legs are flesh-colored. It lays four white eggs, on the ground ; and the young, which
are blackish, do not attain their full plumage until they are three years old. It feeds on fish. Although the Ivory Gull, in common
with others of the genus, varies considerably in size, I have met with none which attain the magnitude of Mr. Hutchins’ bird, which if
it proves on examination to be distinct deserves the name of Larue Hutchinsii.
In appearance this bird looks like a white L. Glaucus, although it may not be quite so large as that species.
Mr. Cassin, in his list of the Birds collected by the exploring expedition under Capt. John Rodgers, U. ;S. N., gives the following
account of this bird as related by Mr. E. M. Kern, the naturalist attached to the command. “ Abundant on the shores of Semiavine
Straits, and in the fresh water lagoons of Arikamscheche Island on the Asiatic coast of Behring Straits, in August, 1855; not shy, and
easily approached within gun-shot. The native boys catch this bird with a sort o f sling made of five dr six strands of rope, to the
ends o f which small stones are attached. This sling is thrown at the bird usually when flying, and is frequently successful in entangling
it so much that it cannot extricate itself before being captured. The skins of this and other birds are used by the Tchuchtchi people
for clothing.”
The adult has the entire plumage pure white, the shafts of the feathers yellowish. Bill flesh-color at base, blackish towards the tip.
Feet flesh-color.
The young is mottled on the upper parts with light reddish brown, becoming transverse bars on the rump. Under parts reddish
brown, barred with white on the under tail-coverts. Wings and tail pure white;