580 LARUS CANUS 



the nest until able to fly, unless it happens to be in a place 

 ■where they can run, and then they will readily leave it on 

 being alarmed. When fledged, they arc as follows : — 



The bill is black, at the base livid flesh-colour ; the iris 

 dusky ; the edges of the eyelids brown ; the feet flesh-colour, 

 tinged with yellow. The upper parts are greyish-brown, 

 variegated with brownish-white, the feathers being margined 

 with the latter colour. The primary quills are blackish- 

 broAvn, narrowly tipped with paler; the secondaries brown 

 toward the end, light grey at the base. The tail is white for 

 two-thirds, the remaining part brownish-black, the tips nar- 

 rowly edged with white ; the upper tail-coverts Avhite, with a 

 brown spot toward the end. The forehead is white, anterior 

 to the eyes is a semicircular band of black ; the cheeks 

 streaked with brown ; all the lower parts pure white ; the neck 

 and breast marked with roundish or transverse small spots of 

 light brownish-grey ; the sides with large markings ; the 

 axillaries irregularly barred toward the end ; the lower wing- 

 coverts and the small feathers on the edge of the wing brown 

 toward the end ; the abdomen pure white ; the lower tail- 

 coverts with a brown spot toward the end. 



FiKST Winter. — After the first moult, which is completed 

 in November, the bill has its dark-coloured part less extended, 

 and the feet are of a more yellow tint. The head and hind- 

 neck are Avhite, streaked with brownish-grey ; the back is 

 greyish-blue, but with a mixture of brown feathers ; a large 

 portion of the inner primaries has become grey ; the secondary 

 coverts are dull bluish-grey, brown toAvard the end ; the 

 rump and upper tail-coverts nearly white, the spots being 

 very small ; and all the lower parts are much whiter. The 

 colours remain in this state during the summer, merely fading 

 from the action of the weather. 



Second Winter. — Bill yellowish-green, with the end 

 dusky ; feet livid yellowish-green. Head and neck pure 

 Avhite, the former with short streaks, the latter with romid or 

 traiisverse spots, as in the adult ; all the lower parts white, 

 but the sides, part of the breast, the axillaries, and lower 



