538 



LARUS FUSCUS. THE LESSER BEACK-BACKED 



GULL. 



YELLOW-FOOTED GULL. 



Larus fuscus. Linn. Syst. Nat. I. 225. 



Larus fuscus. Lath. Ind. Ornitli. 11. 815. 



Lesser Black -backed Gull. Mont. Oruith. Diet. 



Goeland a pieds jaunes. Larus fuscus. Temm. Man. d'Oruith. IL 7()7. 



Larus flavipes, IV. 47L 

 Lesser Black-backed Gull. Larus fuscus. Selby, Illusti-. II. 509. 

 Larus fuscus. Lesser Black-backed Gull. Jen. Brit. Vert. An. 277. 

 Larus fuscus. Bonap. Comp. List, 63. 



Bill two inches along the ridge, eight-twelfths high at the 

 commissure, which is moderately prominent ; tarsus two inches 

 and a half long ; wings about two inches longer than the tail ; 

 tarsi and toes yellow. Adult, in winter, with the hill greenish- 

 yellow, the lower mandible icith an orange-red patch toivard 

 the end ; the margins of the eyelids light vermilion ; the hack 

 and wings hlackish-grey , tinged loith purple, or dark slate- 

 coloured, the qtiills tipped with lohite ; the head and hind 

 neck white, with light hroion streaks ; all the other parts pure 

 white. In summer, the hill light orange, the patch on the loioer 

 mandible vermilion, or orpiment, tinged with carmine, as are 

 the edges of the eyelids ; the head and neck pure white, the 

 other parts as ifi wi?iter. 



Male in Winter. — This species, -which in the colour of 

 its pkimage resembles the Carrion Gull, is inferior in size to 

 the Herring Gull, and of rather a more elegant form than 

 either of these species. Tlie body, although slender, seems 

 rather full, on account of the great mass of plumage ; the 

 neck is of moderate length ; the head of ordinary size, 

 broadly ovate, narrowed anteriorly. The bill is rather long, 

 but shorter than the head, higher toward the end than at the 

 base ; the upper mandible with its dorsal outline straight for 



