LARID^ — THE GULLS AND TERNS — LARUS. 233 



The eggs of L. occidentaUs do not differ much either in shape or size from those 

 of L. argentatus. Their most common ground-color is a pale clay ; but they vary 

 from pearly white to grayish green, pale ash, or even deep brownish clay -color. The 

 markings of the eggs of the former species are more numerous, and of a darker shade 

 than those of the latter. 



Larus afiinis. 



THE SIBERIAN HERRING GULL. 



Larus affinis, Keinh. Vid. Med. 1853, 78 (Greenland) ; Ibis, 1861, 17. — Seebohm & Brown, Ibis, 



1876, 452. — Saunders, P. Z. S. 1878, 171. 

 Larus cachinnans, Meves, Ofv. K. Vetensk. Ak. Forh. 1871, 786 (not of Pallas, 1826). 

 Larus fuscus, Jerdon, B. India, II. 1864, 830 (not of Linx. 1758). 

 Larus ocddentalis, Hume, Stray Feathers, 1873, 273 (not of Aud. 1839). 

 Larus Heuglini, Bree, B. Eur. 2d ed. V. 1876, 58. 



Hab. Northern part of Palsearctic Region ; Greenland. 



Sp. Char. Similar in general appearance to L. ocddentalis, but of quite different proportions, 

 and the bill with the red spot continued, though more faintly, on to the upper mandible. Legs aud 

 feet yellow ; eyelids orange-red or vermilion at all seasons. 



There being, to our knowledge, no example of this species in American collections, and no more 

 satisfactory description being at present accessible to us, we give below a translation of the original 

 description by Dr. Reinhardt : — 



" In the year 1851 the Royal Museum received from Nenortalik, in the district of Julianehaab, 

 a remarkable Gull belonging to the Glaucus group of Bruch, which probably accidentally strayed 

 to the Greenland coast ; it is a full-plumaged bird, which has already the spotted head of the winter 

 dress, but has not entirely completed its shedding, as the first three quills are not yet changed. In 

 its plumage it shows considerable resemblance to Larus argentatus ; but the back and the wings have 

 a remarkably darker grayish blue color, which is even considerably deeper than in Larus tridac- 

 tijlus; besides, the head and throat are more densely and darkly spotted than ever appears to be 

 the case in the first-named species. The quill-feathers resemble in the main those of L. argentatus ; 

 the first is brownish black ^ in the greatest part of its length, with the exception of a quite little 

 slate-colored area on its inner surface nearest to the root, and ends in a white point two inches " long, 

 which again a little before the end of the feather is furnished with a small black cross- band. On 

 the other quill-feather the slate-gray spot is somewhat more extended on the inner surface, and the 

 feather has indeed a white point, but wants a round spot of the same color, which in L. argentatus is 

 found on the inner surface of this feather a little in advance of the tip. The remaining quill-feathers 

 also have white points ; but the grayish-blue color, which on the other quill-feaihers has already 

 begun to show itself also on the outer surface, spreads in these places more and more, until finally, 

 on the sixth quill-feather, the black color is limited to a small cross-band just in front of the white 

 tip. The shoulder-feathers also have white tips. The feet appear to have been of the same color 

 as in L. argentatus, and the beak is yellow, with a bright red spot in front of the angle of the lower 

 jaw, and a lighter tint of the same color on the upper jaw in front of the nostrils, Avhich is likewise 

 a continuation of the spot on the lower jaw. 



" In size it is considerably smaller than the adult Larus argentatus, and agrees in this respect 

 closely with the young of the latter species ; but ... it has the beak considerably larger, higher, 

 and at the same time more powerfully constructed, than is the case in the young argentatus. 



Total length 520 Mill. Height of beak at angle of lower jaw 19 Mill. 



Length of folded wing .... 420 " Tarsus (foot-root) 56 " 



Distance from forehead to tip of beak 48 " Middle toe with claw 56 " 



Distance from corner of mouth to 

 tip of beak 74 " 



1 " The brownish -black color of the first three quill-feathers is to a great extent only a result of fading, 

 and will in the newly-grown feathers be deeper and jjurer." 



2 2.00 Danish inches = about 2.06 English inches. —Translator. 

 VOL. II. — 30 



