302 PROCEEDINGS OP THE ACADEMY OF 



two little spots, then into a slight indentation at the edge of the feather, 

 which finally disappears altogether, leaving the apex of the first primary 

 purely and uninterruptedly white for nearly two inches. 



Independently of the difference in size, character of bill and color of legs, 

 the present species may readily be distinguished from the American Herring- 

 Gull by the different markings of the primaries, (compare descriptions.) 



If it be an error to refer the argentatoides of Richardson to the Calif amicus, 

 or, in other words, if there be a true Herring-Gull in the north with flesh- 

 colored legs, I do not know by what characters it could be separated from the 

 true European argentatus. (See comparison of Cal if arnicas and argentatus. 

 under head of L. Smithsonianus.) 



The name argentatoides of Bonaparte and Richardson is of course of prior 

 date to Californicus of Lawrence. The latter name, however, obtains, of 

 Brehm's having first applied the name argentatoides to a variety, perhaps only 

 accidental, of the European argentatus, of which it necessarily becomes a 

 synonym. 



Brehm's description of his argentatoides applies pretty well to Californicus, 

 but it is evident that it cannot refer to the latter, for he says of it, that 

 "brutet an der scheve dischen, Norwegischeu und Danischen kaste, " a 

 statement entirely at variance with all that is at present known of the geo- 

 graphical distribution of Californicus. 



Bonaparte, in his conspectus (1856), under head of L. argentatoides, (re- 

 ferring to his Synopsis of 1828,) gives, among other characters, the smaller 

 size, the tarsus only two inches, " remi gibus nigris, apice, primes latissimo, 

 albis." This is precisely the character of Californicus. The tarsus of L. Smith- 

 sonianus is nearly or quite two and a half inches long ; that of L. argentatus: 

 about two and a quarter ; while that of Californicus is just about two inches. 



b. Smaller ; bill less robust ; angle less prominent ; legs dusky bluish 

 green. "Mew-Gulls." (Including L. canus, the type of Linnaeus 

 Larus.) 



10. Larus Delawaeensis Ord. 



Larus Delaioarensis, Ord, 1815 ; Lawr. 1858, (excl. synon. aliq.) L. canus, 

 Bonap. Syn. 1828; (nee Linn.; nee Richards.; nee Nutt.) L. zone- 

 rhynchus, Richardson, 1831; Aud. 1842 (excl. synon.), Bp. 1856 (excl. 

 synon.) Glaucus zonorh. Bruch, 1853. Gavina zonorh. 1855. 



Sp. char. Bill encircled with black near the end. Tarsus a fourth longer 

 than the middle toe. Mantle light pearl blue. Spot on the outer primaries 

 small, not larger on the outer than on the inner web. In winter the head 

 and neck spotted (not streaked nor nebulated) with dusky. Length 19 - 75 

 inches ; extent 48-50 ; wing 14-75. Bill above 1*70 ; gape 2*30 ; tarsus 2-05 : 

 toe 1-80. 



Habitat. North America, generally. Puget's Sound. All along the Atlantic 

 coast. Texas and interior. 



It is necessary to exclude the synonyms of many of the authors adduced, 

 since most of them quote canus and brachyrhynchus of Richardson as the 

 young. (See next species.) 



11. Laeus beachyehynchus Richardson. 



?Larus niveus, Pall. 1811. Larus canus, Richardson, 1831, ad (nee Bp. 



Syn. 1828; nee Linn, et auct.), Nuttall, 1834. Larus brachyrhynchus, 



Richardson, 1831, juv. Larus Suckleyi, Lawrence, 1858. Rissa (.') sep- 



tentrionalis, Lawrence, 1858. 



Sp. char. Bill small, somewhat stout for its length, much shorter than the 



head or tarsus. Upper mandible straight to the end of the nostrils, moderately 



convex to the tip, rather more so than in canus. Angle comparatively more 



developed than in canus, the lower outline considerably concave posterior to 



[June, 



