222 LONG-WINGED SWIMMERS — LONGIPENNES. 



of its characters occur to us ; namely : (1) That it may be a hybrid between L. argcntatus and L. 

 leucopterus ; or (2) that it may represent extreme old age of the former. The first of these hypo- 

 theses is rendered extremely improbable from the fact that ]\Ir. Kumlien found this bird breeding 

 in considerable numbers near the head of Cumberland Gulf; while the second is disposed of by 

 the circumstance that at least one of the known specimens is in imnaature plumage, but still pos- 

 sessing "-ray instead of black ([uill-markings, while specimens in the first plumage were also 

 obtained by Mr. Kumlien. 



Mr. Kumlien's account of this species (which he erroneously identified with L. glaucescens) is 

 as follows : — 



" So far as I am aware, this is tlie first instance on record of this bird being taken on the Atlan- 

 tic coast. They are quite common in the upper Cumberland waters, where they breed. Arrived 

 with the opening of the water, and soon began nesting. Tliu nest was placed on the shelving rocks 

 on high cliffs. Two i)airs nested very near our liarlior; but the Ravens tore the nest down and 

 destroyed the eggs. Oidy a single well-identified egg was secured. This Gull is unknown to 

 Governor Fencker on the Greenhmd coast, Tliey remained about the harbor a great deal, and 

 were often observed making away with such scraps as tlie cook had thicnvn overboard ; were 

 sliy, and dithcult to shoot. Full-grown young of this species were shot in the first days of Septem- 

 ber ; these were even darker than the young of L. argentatus, the primaries and tail being very 

 nearly bUich." ^ 



Lanis Nelsoni. 



NELSON'S GTJLL. 



Lams Nelsoni, IIensh. The Auk, A^ol. I. July, 1884, 250. 



Sp. Char. Adult (No. 97253, U. S. Nat. Mus., St. Michael's, Alaska, June 20, 1880 ; E. AV. 

 Nelson) : Mantle pale pearl-blue, exactly as in L. anjentatus. Primaries same color as the mantle, 

 but broadly tipped with white, and the outer five marked Avith deep brownish gray, as follows : 

 First quill with the outer web deep brownish gray to within three inches of the tip (next to the 

 shaft), the inner web rather lighter, more ashy, gray, for al)out the same distance, but broadly 

 eilged with white (the gray about .40 and the white .80 of an inch in width), this white confluent 

 with that of the terminal portion. On the second quill the white tip is 2.40 inches long, the deep 

 brownish gray space being 2.30 inches long next the shaft, but nnich more (some 4.50 inches) 

 along the edge, the very oblique anterior outline being very sharply defmed against the pale pearl- 

 blue of the basal portion. The third quill has the tip white for .90 of an inch (measured along 

 the shaft), the outer web then deep brownish gray for 2.70 inches ; the inner web is ])ale pearl- 

 gray, like the basal portion of the outer web, but at al)out 2.50 inches froni the tip it fades gradually 

 into white — which color, however, is inteiTupted near the end of the quill by an indistinct broad 

 spot of mottled grayish, extending quite across the web The fourth quill is white for about the 

 terminal inch, the outer web then brownish gray for 1.10 inches along the shaft and 2.50 inches 

 along the edge, the pearl-gray of the remaining portion perceptibly paler next the brownish gray 

 space ; the inner web has a very indistinct spot of brownish gray about opposite the end of the 

 dark sjiace on the outer web, the succeeding 1.40 inches being nearly white, but changing gradually 

 into the light pearl-gray of the remaining portion. The fifth quill fades terminally into white at 

 about 1.80 inches from the tip, but the white portion marked on both webs by a spot of brownish 

 gray ; that on the outer web 1.80 inches long on the edge of the quill, but less than half as nuich 

 along the inner margin ; that on the inner web about .50 of an inch broad, and much more dis- 

 tinctly defined than the corresponding spots on the third and fourth quills ; neither spot touches 

 the shaft. The remaining primaries are pale pearl-gray, fading gradually to white at the ends. 

 The head, neck, runq), upper tail-coverts, tail, and entire lower parts are pure white. Bill deep 

 wax-yellow, the tip whitish, the mandible with a large bright red spot at the angle. Wing, 18.25 

 inches ; tail, 7.75 ; culmen, 2.35 ; depth of bill at base, .80, through angle, .80 ; tarsus, 3.05; 

 middle toe, 2.40. 



Although at first sight this bird has some resemblance to L. glaucescens, it may readily be 



1 " Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus." No. 15, pp. 98, 99, 



