306 WEB-FOOTED BIRDS. 



According to Dr. Richardson, during Capt. Ross's and 

 Sir Edward Parry's first voyages, many specimens of this 

 Gull were obtained in Davis's Straits, Baffin's Bay and at 

 Melville Peninsula. The plumage of the present species 

 differs but little from that of L. glaucus, but the great su- 

 periority of the latter bird in point of size is sufficient to 

 distinguish the species. 



The length of the White Winged Gull is about 26 inches ; the 

 bill measured from above is 2J inches ; tarsus the same length ; the 

 middle toe 2 inches 1 line. Stretch of wing 50 inches. Summer 

 plumage, vi^ith the mantle pearl grey. Quills fading to white, their 

 shafts pure white, as well as the rest of the plumage. Bill com- 

 pressed, deep ; the upper mandible longer than the under, the color 

 wine-yellow, with an orange colored spot near the tip of the lower 

 mandible. Wings equal to the even tail. Feet flesh colored. 



GLAUCOUS GULL, or BURGOMASTER. 



(Larus glaucus, Brunn. Orn. Boreal. No. 148. Gmel. Syst. i. p. 

 600. Lath. Ind. sp. 7. Bonap. Synops. No. 302. Glaucous 

 Gull, Penn. Arct. Zool. ii. p. 532. Die grosse Scemeve, oder der 

 Bur germeister, Naum. Vog. tab. 35. [a good figure.]) 



Sp. Charact. — Mantle bluish-grey; quills greyish- white, white at 

 the point; shafts white, tinged with ash; tarsus 3 inches; tail 

 extending 2 inches beyond the wings — Summer plumage, head 

 and neck pure white. Winter dress, with the head and neck va- 

 ried with brown streaks. The yoking mottled, and dull colored. 



This large species is almost w^holly confined to the hyper- 

 boreal regions, where it indifferently inhabits both continents. 

 It is common in Russia, Greenland, and in all the arctic 

 and polar seas. In Baffin's Bay and the adjoining straits 

 and coasts it is seen in considerable numbers during the 

 summer. Its winter resorts are yet unknown. From its 

 great rarity in the United States, it is probable that it may 

 not migrate far from its summer residence, as there can be 



