552 LARUS AllGENTATUS. 



toward the base irregularly barred with w hite, of which there 

 is gradually more on the outer feathers. 



Second Winter. — Bill brown, dusky toward the end, 

 with the tips yellowish-grey ; iris yellowish-brown ; feet 

 flesh-coloured. The plumage is still coloured in the same 

 manner, but the lower parts are nearly Avhite, the brown 

 spots and bars of the upper parts are more grey and nar- 

 rower, and there is more white at the base of the tail and 

 quills. 



After the next Moult. — The bill is dull yellow, with 

 a dusky patch on each mandible, and a little red on the lower ; 

 the iris yellow ; the feet flesh-coloured. The head, neck, 

 and lower parts are white ; the back is bluish-grey, as are 

 the wings in part, most of the small coverts being light 

 brown. The tail is white for two-thirds, but with some 

 narrow dusky bars, and dark brown toward the end. The 

 primaries and their coverts are greyish-black tipped with 

 Avhite ; the outer quill with a white spot toward the end ; the 

 secondaries are bluish-grey, wdth an irregular dusky patch 

 near the end, which is white. When three years old, the 

 bird is as described in the adult state. 



Remarks. — Having carefully examined specimens from 

 various parts of North America, I find them clearly to 

 belong to the same species. One brought by Mr. Fisher, 

 surgeon of the Hecla, from the Arctic Expedition of 18J^1, is 

 as follows : — 



The bill and feet as described above ; the wings about an 

 inch longer than the tail ; the latter slightly rounded. The 

 bill is greenish-yellow, the upper mandible light yellow 

 before the nostrils, the lower Avith a crimson spot, dusky in 

 the centre, near the end. The feet pale flesh-colour, the 

 claws blackish-brown. The plumage pure white, excepting 

 the back and upper surface of the w ings, which are purplish 

 pale blue. An oblique bar of brownish-black on the outer 

 five quills, largest on the first, on the fifth reduced to a band. 

 The primary quills arc ti])pcd with white, the first to the 



