LARUS CANUS VAR. BRACHYRHYNCHUS, MEW GULL. 639 



c. hracliyrhynclms. 



Larus camis, Rich., F. B. A. ii, 1831, 420 (adult) ; not of authors. — Nutt., Man. 



ii, 1834, 300. 

 Larus brachyrlnjnchus, Rich., F. B. A. ii, 1831, 421 (juvenile). — Nutt., Man. ii, 1834, 301. — 



CouES, Pr. A. N. S. 1862, 302.- Elliot, B. N. A. ii, pi. 53.— Dall & Bann., Tr. 



Chic. Acad. 1869, 305.— Finsch, Abb. Nat. iii, 1872, 84. 

 Larus can us var. brachyrhynchus, CouES, Key, 1872, 313. 

 Larus sucklei/i, Lawu., Ann. Lye. N. Y. 1854*, 264 ; B. N. A. 1858, 847 (young).— Coop. &, 



Suck., N- H. Wash. Ter. I860, 274.— Schl., Mus. P.-B. iv, 1863, Lari, p. 27.— 



Blas., J. f. O. 1865, 381. 

 Bissa septentrionalis, Lawk., Ann. Lye. N. Y. 1854 ; B. N. A. 1858, 854. — Coop. Sl Suck., 



N. H. Wash. Ter. 1860, 277. 



Note. — The foregoing synonymy is based upon the consideration that there are three 

 recognizahle varieties, but not species, of the eanus group : 1. The typical European 

 bird. 2. The larger and perhaps otherwise distiugui.shed bird of Asia, L. can us major 

 of Middendorff and Schlegel (see Blas., J. f. O. 1865, 330). 3. The North American 

 bird, of which the adult as caiitts, and the young as braehyrhyneliHS, were described by 

 Richardson, and subsequently as liissa septentrionalis (adult) and L. suckleyi (juvenile) 

 by Lawrence. We have here only to do with the latter. 



Var. BRACHYRHYNCHUS, [Mcli.) Coues. 



DiAG. L. cano (Enropa;) similis ; minor, rostro hreviore, culmine magis convexo, pallia dilu- 

 tiore, tarso vix lonyiore quam digitnm medium cum ungue. 



Hah. — Interior of Arctic America, and Pacific coast generally. Not authenticated as 

 occurring on the Atlantic coast. 



Sp. ch. Bill small, somewhat stout for its length, much shorter than the head or 

 tarsu.s. Upper mandible straight to the end of the nostriis, moderately convex to the, 

 tip, rather more so than in eanus. Angle of lower mandible pretty well developed, 

 comparatively more so than in eanus; the lower outliue considerably concave posterior 

 to it, somewhat so before it. Commissure about straight to near the tip. Tarsus and 

 middle toe and claw about equal, the former but little if any longer than the latter. 



Adult in summer. — Bill bluish-green, its terminal third bright yellow. Legs and feet 

 dusky bluish-green, the webs yellowish. Mantle light grayish-blue or dark pearl-blue, 

 a shade lighter than in eanus, much darker than in delawarensis. Prinuiries : the bluish- 

 gray bases rather lighter than in eanus, much darker than in dehncarensis, but fading 

 into nearly pure white on all but the first at the juncture with the black portion ; these 

 bluish-gray bases of the feathers extend toward the ends much further than in eanus, 

 as far as in delawarensis, and, as in that species, on the second, third, and fourth, extend 

 furth' r along the central portions of the inner weh than at the edges, so that they are 

 bordered for some distance with the black of the terminal portions of the feathers. 

 The black takes in the outer web of the first primary and nearly the whole of the inter, 

 but rapidly becomes narrower, till it is merely a subtenninal transverse bar on the 

 sixth. The seventh has freiiuently a spot of black on one or both webs. First, with a 

 large white siK)t near the end two inches long, longer on the; outer than on the inner 

 web, not divided by the black shaft, the tip of the feather black ; second, with a sim- 

 ilar spot, but smaller, not longer on the outer than on, the inner web, and divided by 

 the black shaft ; the extreme apex white, as are the apices of all the other primaries 

 except the first. 



Adult, high breeding plumage. — Eyelids, ocular region, and gape of mouth, bright 

 orange-yellow, which color extends over the tip and cutting edges of the bill. The 

 green of the bill with a peculiar hoary glaucesceiice. Legs and leet bluish-green, the 

 webs bright gamboge-yellow. Otherwise as in tlie preceding stage. 



Adult in winter. — The head and neck all round, with the upper part of the breast, 

 mottled with dusky. 



A]>)>r()aehing maturity. — Head and neck faintly mottled. Primaries brownish-black, 

 without decided white tips ; the spots on tlit; first and second restricted. Tertials with 

 a dusky spot on each web near the end. Tail with a more or less perfect subtenninal 

 band. 



i'oung, first idnter. — Bill, basally, ll(>sh-color ; black on the terminal half. Legs and 

 feet light yellowisli. Head, neck, rnnip, and whole under parts, mottled irregularly 

 with dusky. Back a.s in the adult, but the feathers with grayi.sh edgings. Wing- 

 coverts, secondaries, and tertials, «lusky ; darkest on t\w latter ; all with light edgings. 

 Priinarit's nnitbnn l)rowniHh-bla(k, witliont white spots, tips, or lighter bases. Tail 

 almost entirely brownish-black, with a narrow bitrder of white. 



Young in .tugust. — Bill and legs as in the i)receding. Everywhere whitish-grav ; the 

 ■white of the under i)arts ajtpearing as mottling, and the blue of the upper \tarts as 

 irregular patches. Otherwise as in the j'receding. 



iJimensions. — Length, 17.50; extent, 42; wing, 13.75; bill above, 1.40; gape, 2 ; width 



