650 LAEUS ATRICILLA, LAUGHING GULL. 



LARUS (CHECECOOEPHALUS) ATRICILLA, Linn. 



Laughing' Gull. 



Lartts alriciUa, Lixn., Syst. Nat. i, 176(5, 225 (L. ynajor, Gates., i, 89, but also includes 

 tlie European species). — Temm., Mau. ii, 1820, 779. — Steph., 'Gen. Zool. xiii, 

 1825, 205.— Flem., Br. An. 1828, 142.— Bp., Syu. 1828, 359.— Nutt., Man. ii, 1834, 

 291.— Jen., Mau. 183.5, 273.— Aun., Oru. Biog. iv, 1838, 118, pi. 314; Syu. 1839, 

 324; B. Am. vii, 1844, 136, pi. 443.— Keys. & Blas., Wirb. Eur. 1840, 96.— Gm., 



B. L. I. 1844, 358.— DeKay, N. Y. Zool. ii, 1844, , .— Schl., Rev. Crit. 



1844, 127.— Gjjay, Gen. of B. iii, 1849, 654.— Putn., Pr. Ess. Inst. 18.56, 221 

 (Massacliusetts).— TuRNB., B. E. Pa. 1869, 38.— Pelz., Oru. Bras. 323.— Scul., 

 Mus. P.-B. iv, 1863, Lari, p. 44.— Gray, List Br. B. 1864, 234.- Taylor, Ibis, 

 1864, 172 (Porto Rico).— Sund., Ofv. K. Vet. Ak. 1869, 590 (St. Bartholomew).— 

 ScL. & Salv., p. Z. S. 1871, 576.— Harting, Br. B. 1872, 175.— Coues, Kev, 

 1872, 315.— RiDGW., Ann. Lye. N. Y. x, 1874, 391 (Illinois). 



Xema airicUla, Boie, Isis, 1822, 563. — Bp.. List, 1838, 62. — Cab., Scbomb. Guiana, iii, 761. 



Gavia atrlcUla, Macgil., Mau. Orn. ii, 1842, 240.— Blas., J. f. O. 1865, 378. 



Cliroicocephahis atridUa, Lawr., B. N. A. 1858, 850. — SCL., Ibis, i, 1859, 223 (Belize). — 

 Newt., Ibis, i, 1859, 372 (St. Thomas).— Bry., Pr. Bost. Soc. vii, 1859, 134 (Ba- 

 hamas).— Wheat., Ohio Aj ■ ' ■' '' " '' " '^ 

 Rep. 1861, 418 (Washiugto: 



P. Z. S. 1864, 179 (Mexico). , ._._, , ,, _-, 



1866, 299 (New York).— Boardm., Pr. Bost. Soc. ix. 1862, 131 (Maine).— Verr., 

 Pr. Ess. Inst, iii, 1862, 160 (Maine).— Allen, ihid. iv, 1864, 90 (Massachusetts "in 

 winter;" an error). — Coues, ibid, v, 1868, 307 (New Euglaiul, "winters;" 

 error).— Coues, Ibis, 1864, 388 (Central America, both coasts). — Coues, Pr. 

 Phila. Acail. 1866, 99 (Colorado River).— Dress., Ibis, 1866, 44 (Texas).— Guxdl., 

 Rep. Fis. Nat. i, 391 (Cuba). — Coues, Pr. Bost. Soc. xii, 1868, 126 (South Caro- 

 1 iua).— Coues. Pr. Phila. Acad. 1871, 40 (North Carolina).— Hatch, Bull.Mmu. 

 Acad, i, 1874, 67 (fMinuesota). 



Lams ridibundus, Wils., Am. Orn. ix, 89, pi. 74. — Leot., Ois. Trin. 532. 



" Lams plumhiceps, Brehm, Lehrb. 722." {Gray.) 



Aiiidllu cafeshwi, Bp., Compt. Rend. 18.56, 771.— Bruch, J. f. O. 1855, 287. 



Jtricillu micropliriis, Bruch, J. f. O. 1855, 287. 



Airidlla minor et macroptera, Bp., Compt. Rend. 1856, 771. 



DiAG. L. iamo medium digitmn superante, rostro nigrescente-ruhro apice acuminato, remigi- 

 bus nigris, albo-terminatis. 



Hah. — Tropical and temperate America. In the United States north on the Atlantic 

 in summer to Maine ; in the interior to Ohio ; on the Pacific to California. Central 

 America, both coasts, and various West Indies. In South America to the Lower Ama- 

 zon. Casual in Europe. 



Bill longer than the middle toe and claw, shorter than the tarsus or head, modei'atelj 

 compressed, rather stout for this geuus. Culmen and commissure both decurved at the 

 end, the latter somewhat sinuate at the base. Gonys considerably concave in front of 

 the angle, somewhat so between the angle and tip ; although the angle is well defined, 

 the tip of the bill is so decurved that a chord from tip to base does not touch it. Mid- 

 dle toe barely three-fourths the tarsus. 



Adult in summer. — Bill deep carmiue ; legs and feet brownish-red. Hood deep plum- 

 beous grayish-black, extending further on the throat than on the nape. Eyelids white 

 posteriorly. Neck all round, rump, tail, broad tips of secondaries and tertials, and 

 whole under parts, white, the latter with a rosy tinge. Mantle grayish-plumbeous. 

 Outer six primaries black, their extreme tips white ; their bases for a very short dis- 

 tance on the first, and only in the inner web, and for a successively increasing distance 

 on both webs of the others, are of the color of the back. 



Adult in idnter. — Under parts simply white, not rosy; hood lost, the head being 

 white, inttrmixed with blackish. Bill and feet more dull in color. Otherwise as in 

 summer. 



Immature. — Bill and feet brownish-black, tinged with red. Plumbeous of the upper 

 parts more or less mixed with irregular patches of light grayish-brown. Primaries 

 wholly deep brownish-black, fading at the tip. Secondaries brownish-black on the 

 outer web. Tail feathers more or less tinged with plumbeous, and with a broad term- 

 inal baud of browuish-black, the extreme tips of the feathers white. Upper tail- 

 coverts white. 



Toung-of-the-year. — Entire upper parts, and neck all round, light brownish-gray ; the 

 feathers tipped with grayish or rufous white, broadly on the scapulars and tertials, the 

 blue of the adults appearing on the wing-coverts. Eyelids whitish ; a dusky space 

 about the eye. Forehead, throat, and under jjarts, dull whitish, more or less clouded 



