296 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF 



Laras neevius, Gmel. 1788 (juv.) Larus maculatus, Bodd. fide Bp. ; 

 (nee Briimi.) Larus maximus,' Mulleri, et Fabricii, Brehrn, secundum 

 Bp. 



Sp. char. First primary with a large white space at the tip, 2\ inches long. 

 Young: Fully as large as the adult; the bill as large, but the angle less de- 

 veloped, entirely black. Upper parts dusky chocolate brown, everywhere 

 mottled with whitish and light rufous, (the latter on the back and wings,) 

 the feathers being tipped and the wing coverts deeply indented with this color. 

 Under parts mottled with white, or rufous white and dusky, the throat mostly 

 immaculate. Primaries and tail deep brownish black, the former at the ex- 

 treme apex tipped, and the latter tipped, subterminally barred, and with 

 the outer feather mottled with whitish. Length 30 inches, extent "65, wing 

 18-50. 



Habitat. North Atlantic, coming south in winter. Florida (Aud.) 

 A full description of the adult appeared unnecessary. That of the young 

 was drawn up from a specimen taken from its nest while in the downy state, 

 and reared by the writer until full grown. 



Section C Laroides Brehm. (Larus, Kaup ; Glaucus, p. Bruch, 1853.) 

 Mantle lighter than in B, darker than in A. Primaries crossed with 

 black near the ends. 



a. Large ; bill robust ; angle prominent. "Herring-gulls." 



I. A rounded, white subapical spot on the first primary. Legs flesh-colored 



7. Larus occidentals Audubon. 



Larus occidentalis, Aud. Glaucus occicl. Bruch, 1853. L*aroides occid. 

 Bruch, 1855. 



Sp. char. Bill large, robust, very stout and deep, the culmen very convex 

 at the end, the angle strongly developed, making the under outline doubly 

 concave. Adult : Mantle dark bluish ash, almost slate color, the tips of the 

 secondaries and tertiaries white, the line of demarcation distinct. Primaries : 

 first three black throughout their exposed portions, the outer white for some 

 distance at the tip (1*75 inches), crossed near the end with an irregular black 

 bar ; the shafts entirely black ; the second without a white spot but its tip 

 and the tips of all the others white. The young of the year : Bill entirely 

 black, rather shorter than in the adult, but at the same time with great com- 

 parative depth at the angle. Everywhere a deep blackish brown, mottled 

 with grayish white, the feathers of the upper parts edged and tipped with that 

 color. Rump and upper tail coverts barred with whitish and dusky. Prima- 

 ries and tail uniform deep blackish brown, with scarcely lighter tips, the 

 former without tips. Length 24 inches, extent 55, wing 15-5. Bill above 

 2-30, along gape 3*10 ; height at nostril -75, width -40, height at angle "85. 

 Tarsus 2-75. 



Habitat. Pacific coast of North America. 



A very strongly-marked species. 



8. Larcs Sjiithsonianus Coues. 



Larus argentatus, auctorum americ. L. argentatus ex America*. 



Sp. char. Adult : Mantle typical " gull-blue ;" much lighter than in occi- 

 dentalism lighter than in brachyrhynchus, much as in Delawarensis and glauces- 

 > ns, darker than in glaucus or leucopterus. Bases of primaries a but slightly 

 lighter shade of the blue of the back, not so light nor extending so far, (es- 

 pecially on the first primary,) nor so broad at the end as in Calif ornicus ; on 

 the first the light portion is very short, falling five or six inches short of the 

 white spot, is not lighter at its juncture with the black, nor does it extend 

 further on the central portion than on the edge of the feather; on the second, 

 third and fourth the light bluish extends about the same distance (about four 



[June, 



