LARID.E — THE GULLS AND TERNS — RHODOSTETHIA. 267 



wings clear pearl-graj"- ; outer web of the first quill blackish brown to its tip, which is gray ; tips 

 of the scajinlars and lesser quills whitish ; some small feathers near the eye and a collar round the 

 miildle of the neck pitch-black, rest of the pliunage white ; the neck above and the whole under 

 plumage deeply tinged with peach-blossom red in recent specimens. Bill black ; its rictus and the 

 edges of the eyelids reddish orange ; legs and feet vermilion-red ; nails blackish. 



" Form. Bill slender, weak, with a scarcely perceptible salient angle beneath ; the upper man- 

 dible slightly arched and compressed toward the point ; the commissure slightly curved at the tip. 

 Wings an inch longer than the decidedly cuneiform tail ; the central feathers of which are an inch 

 longer than the outer ones. Tarsi rather stout ; the thumb very distinct, armed with a nail as 

 large as that of the outer toe. 



'■^Dimensions. Length, 14.00 inches ; wing, 10.50 ; tail, 5.50 ; bill above, .75, along gape, 1.25 ; 

 tarsus, l^" (Richardson, Faun. Bor. Am. II. 427). 



Adult male, in winter (No. 87230, U. S. Nat. Mus., kit. 71° 50' N., Arctic Ocean, north of Siberia, 

 Oct. 7, 1879 ; R. L. Newcomb) : Head, neck, and lower parts pure white, the pileum tinged with 

 pale pearl-gray, the breast and most of other lower parts tinged with a very fine delicate rose- 

 pink; no trace of black collar, but a distinct blackish patch or bar immediately in front of eye. 

 Mantle and wings delicate pale pearl-gray, the secondaries very broadly tipped with pinkish white, 

 the two inner primaries becoming gradually white terminally, and the outer web of the outer 

 primary chiefly black. Lower part of rump, upper tail-coverts, and tail white, faintly tinged 

 with delicate rose-pink. Bill black ; iris brown ; legs and feet pale brownish in dried skin.^ 

 Wing, 10.00 inches ; tail, 4.50, the lateral feathers .75 shorter ; culmen, .75 ; tarsus, 1.25 ; middle 

 toe, 1.00. 



Young male, in second summer (No. 87232, U. S. Nat. IVlus., Arctic Ocean, north of Siberia, June 

 23 ; R. L. Newcomb) : Head, neck, lower parts, lower part of rump, and upper tail-coverts pale, 

 delicate rose-pink, this deepest beneath the surface of the feathers, the head and neck, except 

 underneath, nearly pure white ; upper part of neck encircled by a narrow black collar, broadest 

 on the throat, only the tips of the feathers being black. Mantle and wings delicate pale pearl-gray, 

 the lesser and middle wing-coverts dusky black on the surface (only the concealed portion being 

 pearl-gray) ; inner secondaries, primary coverts, alulae, and adjacent small feathers, with three 

 outer primaries, blackish dusky, the inner webs of the latter, however, with the marginal half 

 pearl-gray ; remaining primaries pearl-gray, becoming white on the innermost quills, all of them 

 broadly tipped with black ; under surface of wing pale pearl-gray, like the mantle. Tail white, 

 the third, fourth, and filth feathers broadly tipped with black (this .75 of an inch in e.xtent on 

 fifth or ne;ct to the middle feather). Bill black ; iris brown ; legs and feet bright red, claws black. 

 Wing, about 9.75 ((piills much abraded) inches ; tail, 4.80, the lateral feathers 1.50 shorter ; 

 culmen, .70 ; tarsus, 1.20 ; middle toe, 1.00. 



Another young male in second summer, also collected by Mr. Newcomb (No. 87231, June 30, 

 1880), diflers in having the rosy tint almost entirely absent, the black necklace much less distinct, 

 and the tail wholly white. It measures : Wing, 9.50 inches ; tail, 5.10, the lateral feathers 1.20 

 shorter ; culmen, .65 ; tarsus, 1.25 ; middle toe, 1.05. 



Youmj, in first iilumcujc (No. 81224, St. Michael's, Alaska, Oct. 10, 1879 ; E. W. Nelson): Gen- 

 eral color of pileiim, nape, and mantle very pale pearl-gray, but this only on the surface, all the 

 underlying portion of the feathers being pure white ; all the parts described heavily clouded with 

 dark fuliginous, or blackish dusky, there being many feathers with the tip very broadly of this 

 color ; these dark markings prevail on the upper portion of tlie rump, where the feathers have dull 

 Initfy tips. Lower part of rump, upper tail-coverts, and greater part of tail immaculate pure white ; 

 middle pair of tail-feathers with the end sooty-black for about .85 of an inch, the next feather on 

 each side black for a much less distance, the third with merely a slight mottling of dusky at the ex- 

 treme tip. Lesser and middle wing-coverts, tertials, and most of the scapulars dark sooty or brown- 

 ish black, each feather distinctly bordered terminally with pale grayish buff ; greater wing-coverts 



1 Professor J. Murdoch has kindly furnished us with the following description of the fresh colors of 

 an adult male in winter plumage obtained by him at Point Barrow, Alaska : "Feet terra-cotta red, with 

 brown webs and knuckles. AVhite everywhere tinged with red, except rectrices ; rose-color somewhat 

 blotchy and approaching salmon-color, especially on crissum. Mantle pearly blue, extending as mottUngs 

 to the back of the head. Edge of wing, from shoulder to wrist, bright rosy." 



