LARID^ — THE GULLS AND TERNS — LARUS. 



255 



Atricilla Catcshcci, Bonap. Naumannia, 1854, 212. 



Atricilla minor, Bonap. 1. c. 



Atricilla moxroptera, Bonap. 1. c. 



Larus (Atricilla) micropterus, Bruch, t. c. 288. 



Hab. Tropical and Warm-temperate America, north to Maine, Ohio, Illinois, etc., but chiefly 

 along the sea-coast ; south to the Lower Amazon ; both coasts of Central America. Casual in 

 Europe. 



Sp. Char. Adult, in summer : Head and upper half of the neck (extending farther down in 

 front than on the nape) dark slate-color, with a slight brownish tinge, darkest on the neck ; an 

 elongated white spot on each eyelid ; lower half of the neck, all round, entire lower parts, upper 

 tail-coverts, and tail, pure white, the under surface with a delicate roseate tinge in fresh specimens ; 

 mantle deep plumbeous, the secondaries and tertials broadly tipped with white. Outer live prima- 

 ries black, with or without a small white apical 

 spot, the bases of the third, fourth, and fifth 

 slaty for a greater or less distance, this sometimes 

 abruptly defined against the black, but oftener 

 grading insensibly into it ; remaining quills 

 hoary plumbeous, tipped with white, the sixth 

 sometimes with a subterminal black spot. Bill 

 dark brownish red, the terminal third of the cul- 

 men and the gonys blood-red or carmine ; eye- 

 lids dull dark red ; rictus and interior of mouth 

 fleshy red ; iris dark grayish brown ; legs and 

 feet dark reddish brown, the webs darker ; claws 

 black. Adult, in winter : Similar, but head and 

 neck white, the occiput and auricular region 

 spotted or mottled with lirownish gray, and the 

 eyes more or less surrounded by the same. Bill 



and feet more dusky. Young, first plumage: Interscapulars, scapulars, and wing-coverts, grayish 

 brown centrally, broadlj' borderetl with pale grayish buff or clay-color ; greater wing-coverts ash- 

 gray, tinged on terminal edges with pale grayish buff ; secondaries dusky, abruptly tipped with 

 white ; primary coverts and primaries black, the latter narrowly tipped with white. Central 



portion of the rump light Ijrownisli ash ; lateral and 

 posterior portion of the rump, upper tail-coverts, 

 and posterior lower parts, white. Basal half of the 

 tail light ash-gray ; terminal portion black, narrowly 

 tipped with wliite. Head, neck, breast, and sides, 

 nearly uniform brownish gray, darker on the occiput 

 and nape, and more or less tinged with pale bnffy 

 beneath, especially in younger individuals ; abdomen 

 grayish white or pale brownish gi^ay. Bill and feet dusky brownish (in skin). Downy young: 

 Above, grayish fulvous, the head irregularly striped or spotted, the back, wings, and rump 

 irreguhirly marbled with dusky. Lower parts light grayish fulvous, inclining to ochraceous on 

 the breast and middle of the abdomen, which are immaculate ; lateral and under parts of the 

 head marked with several large and distinct spots of black ; foreneck, sides, flanks, and anal 

 region dull fulvous-grayish, faintly mottled with darker. Bill dull light brown ; legs and feet 

 dull dusky brown. 



Total length, about 16.50 inches ; wing, 13.00 ; tail, 5.00 ; culmen, 1.75 ; depth of bill through 

 nostrils, .45 ; tarsus, 2.00 ; middle toe with claw, 1.50. 



The Black-headed, or Laughing, Gull is found at different seasons along the whole 

 Atlantic coast of the United States. It breeds as far to the northeast as Tennant's 

 Harbor, in Maine, near the western extremity of Penobscot Bay, and during the latter 

 part of the summer extends its migrations as far as the Bay of Fundy ; but none of 



