STERCORARIUS BUFFONI, LONG-TAILED JAEGER. 617 



" ceppJius" really refer. This difficulty results partly fioui the brevity and vague char- 

 acter of the diagnoses given, and partly from the fact that the two species were really 

 confounded (except by Brisson) until a comparatively recent date. From this it re- 

 sults that many of the older names and citations may without difficulty be referred to 

 either species. This has beeu done; some authors considering Briiuuich's or Linmeus' 

 "parasiticus " to refer to the Long-tailed, and others thinking that it was based upon 

 the common species, until the identification of this name has become almost a matter 

 of choice, or rather of tacit understanding. A glance at tlie synonyms of the two spe- 

 cies will show that authors are about equally divided on this point. Before the intro- 

 duction of " riehardsoiii'^ by Swainson, the Common .Jiiger usually received the appel- 

 lation of parasiticus, bat after the adoption of Swaiuson's name for this species by 

 Temminck and others, the name parasiticus was for some years almost universally 

 applied to the Long-tailed Jiiger. Within the last few years, however, the name has 

 again reverted to the common species, and Buffon's Jiiger has usually been called 

 ^^ cepphus.^^ This identification of Brliunich's name is sanctioned by Gray, Bonaparte, 

 and other writers. The following are my reasons for rather referring it to the young 

 pomarinus : 



It is apparent, from almost every sentence of Briinnich's description of cepphus, that 

 he had in view a young bird of the year, in the state in which it is transversely waved 

 with rufous and dusky, &c. The only point to determine is, what species it is the 

 young of. Regarding its size, Briinuich compares it with his Catharacta skua, saying 

 that it is much suialler than that species, and the size of parasitica. The youug-of-the- 

 year oi pomatorhinus is more nearly the size of the adult parasiticus than is the young of 

 the Long-tailed Jiiger. The account of the colors, proportions, »5Lc., which follows, 

 agrees precisely with those of the jouug pomatorhiuus ; and when we remember that at 

 that time the diiferences between the Common and Buflbu's Jiiger were not appreciated, 

 it seems by no means certain that Briinnich had the latter in view in drawing up his 

 description. He would in that case have doubtless compured it with the parasiticus. 

 Moreover, authors who wrote but shortly after Briinnich's time, considered his cepplnis 

 to be the 2)omatorhimus ; thus, e. g., Latham places it as a synonym of that species. I by 

 no means insist upon its reference to j)o«i«to*7(a«Hs, but merely wish to show that it very 

 possibly belongs there, and that it is altogether too indefinite to be employed in either 

 connection. , 



The name longicaudatus of Brisson (1760) is the very first bne accompanied by a suf- 

 ficiently definite description to enable the species to be identified. As Brisson is no au- 

 thority for sjiecies, the name buffoni, proposed by Boie, is the first tenable specific 

 designation. 



I have already given my reasons for referring the LarUs parasiticus, Latham, to this 

 species, rather than to the jyarasiticus of Briinnich. 



The Lestris hssoui of Degland (18:^8) is, according to that author's own admission, 

 based upon the youg huffoiii. This same innnature plumage of this species has served 

 as the basis of Lestris crepidata of Brehm (1823). 



Suhfamily LAKiNiE. 



DiAG. Laridcc rostro integro, maxilloc 8upericr:3 apice aduncd, inferiorem exccdente. 



Ch. Bill entire ; the apex of the upper mandible overhanging the tip of the lower. 

 Genei'al shajje of the bill as in Lestridincv. Eminentia symphysis always prominent. 

 Rami of inferior mandil>h- divaricating at an acute angle. Submental space partially 

 feathered. Feathers of lorehead extending further on the sides than on the cuhiien of 

 upper mandible. Nostrils direct, linear-oval, somewhat club-shaped, pervious, situated 

 on the side of the upper mandible near its base. Wings long, strong, and acutely 

 pointed, the first primary usually longest. Tail usually sqiutre. or very slightly emar- 

 giuate; sometimes forked; in Ixhodostclhia cuneate. Legs aniliulatorial, of moderate 

 length, placed far forward. Tibi;e denuded for a grealir or less sjjace below ; moder- 

 ately stout, anteriorly sciitellate, posteriorly smoothly rclieulate. Toes as in the other 

 subfamilies. Websmodcrattdy full, always more or less ( niarginate. Hind toe always 

 fully develope<l, except in lUssa. Of very variable sizr, liom the largest of the family 

 to nearly the smallest, riuuiage full and thick, especially beneath ; varying in color 

 greatly with age and season, hardly, if at all, with sex. Sexes of nearly ecpial size, 

 female usually a little the largest. 



Anatomical characters. — For these see the account of the anatomy of L. argcntatus 

 {Hmillisoiiiaiius), a typical species well illustrating the internal structure of the w.holo 

 subfamily. 



The numerous species of this cosmopolitan group have been unwarrantably subdi- 

 vided into a large nnnilicr of genera, so-called by modt-ru systematists. It may not bo 

 possil)le, even were it judgeil expedient, to detinc these genera as siuh ; for with tho 

 exception of the cnneate-tailed lihodostcthia, and X\w fork-tailed Xcina, no characters 

 are observed leyoud tho.se of pat tcru of coloration, by which the groups can be trench- 



