GLAUCOUS GULL. 565 



strong, measured upwards of four inches. On the other 

 hand, many individuals that I have seen were inferior in size 

 to others of Larus marinus. The eggs of the Glaucous Gull 

 are also larger than those of Larus marinus. 



In the marine state this species is not liable to be mis- 

 taken for any other, excepting Larus leucopterus, which it 

 almost exactly resembles in colour, but greatly exceeds in 

 size. The principal points of difference are the following : — 

 The nostrils are much narrower than in Larus leucopterus ; 

 the vehole form more robust ; the head and neck in particular 

 larger ; the bill more elongated ; and the wings shorter. It 

 is in the dimensions, however, that we are to Ipok for the 

 most decisive characters ; the present bearing to Larus leucop- 

 terus nearly the same relation that Larus marinus bears to 

 Larus flavipes, or the Raven to the Carrion Crow. The 

 young also can be confounded only with those of Larus leu- 

 copterus, from which they differ chiefly in size, being much 

 paler than those of any other large species, and without the 

 dark quills and tail of the others. 



Although on a former occasion I gave the appropriate 

 name of Larus glacialis, and Greenland Gull, to this species, 

 convinced that the descriptions of the older authors referred 

 as much to Larus leucopterus as to it, yet, finding that it is 

 now generally well known by the name of Larus glaucus and 

 Glaucous Gull, and moi-e especially as it was intelligibly 

 described by Temminck under that name, previous to the 

 publication of my remarks, I am willing, in a matter of so 

 little importance, to yield to the general opinion. At the 

 same time, the specific name glaucus is equally applicable to 

 Larus leucopterus, and the specific name leucopterus is 

 equally applicable to Larus glaucus, both species being glau- 

 cous, and both having the tips of the wings white. There is 

 nothing more inconsistent than our nomenclature. If two 

 dark-backed Gulls are correctly named, the one the Greater 

 Black-backed, the other the Lesser Black-backed, should not 

 our t^vo glaucous or hoary-backed Gulls be named, the one 

 the Larger the other the Lesser ? 



