LARID.E — LARIN^: GULLS. 989 



4.00 of tip of 2(1), runs up fartlier on the centres of the feathers than on their edges, and grows 

 nearly white at its junction with the black portions. First primary with a subapical white 

 spot near its tip, small, rounded, not much over 1.00 in diameter; generally not longer on 

 outer vane than on inner; sometimes wanting ou the former; in oldest birds this spot enlarg- 

 ing to coalesce with the white tip of the feather; 2d primary usually without a subapical spot, 

 or if one is present it is small. All the primaries with small rounded wliite tips, and black 

 from these apical spots to their bluish-white bases; this baud of black growing narrower from 

 1st to 7th, where it is a mere point. Winter plumage: Head and neck streaked witli dusky; 

 bill less brightly colored. Otherwise as in summer. Immature : The feathers of the back 

 have gray margins ; upper wing-coverts mottled with dusky-gray. An imperfect subterminal 

 bar of dusky ou tail. Young of first winter: Head, neck, and whole under parts more or less 

 thickly mottled with dusky, as are the wing-coverts, secondaries, and tertials. The gull-blue 

 of upper parts appears in irregular patches, mixed with gray. Kemiges and rectrices brownish- 

 black, with very narrow whitish tips, the former wanting both apical and subapical white 

 spots. Bill flesh-color, its terminal third black. Feet dull flesh-color. Younger: Entirely 

 deep dull brownish ; throat lightly streaked and rump transversely barred with whitish ; feath- 

 ers of back with yellowish or grayish-white edges ; wings and tail black ; bill blackish ; legs 

 and feet dusky flesh-color. Dimensions of adult: Length 24.00-25.00; extent 54.00-58.00; 

 wing 17.00-18.00; bill along culmen 2.40; height at nostril 0.75; at angle 0.80; tarsus 2.75; 

 middle toe aud claw the same. 9 ^ little, and young considerably less than foreg(jing ; wing 

 down to 15.50; bill to 2.20; tarsus to 2.40. North America at large, abundant, both coast- 

 wise and in the interior, especially numerous along the Atlantic coast in winter; less common 

 on the Pacific coast. Breeds from Maine, Minnesota, N. Dakota, and Great Lakes northward, 

 especially about the St. Lawrence, Newfoundland, and Labrador, but not especially Arctic ; S. 

 in winter to Cuba and Lower California. Nest on the ground, exceptionally in trees; eggs 

 normally 3, averaging 2.80 X 1.95; ground-color from light bluish- or greenish-white to dark 

 brownish-olive ; markings of every size and shape, very irregularly disposed, dark brown and 

 blackish, paler brown and neutral tint; June and early July. Nestlings covered with whitish 

 down, mottled with angular dusky spots. 



L. ve'gae. (Lat. of the Vega, a ship so named.) Vega Gull. Size, proportion of parts, 

 pattern of primaries, etc., as in a common Herring Gull. Feet flesh-color (not yellow). 

 Mantle dark bluish — darker than that of argentatus, yet not slate-colored as in occidentalis. 

 Northwest coast of North America from Bering Sea, S. in winter to California; on the Asiatic 

 side from the Arctic coast of Siberia S. in winter to Japan, China, Formosa, and the Boniu 

 Islands. L. cachinnans of most late American writers, as of the 2d anil 3d eds. of the Key, 

 but not of Pallas, wliich is a Herring Gull with yellow legs, as wrongly given for the pres- 

 ent species by most of our writers. L. argentatus var. vegce Palmen, Vega Exped. v, 1887, 

 p. 370 ; L. vega: Stej. Auk, July, 1888, p. 3J0 ; Coues, Key, 4th ed. 18itd, p. 906 ; A. 0. U. 

 List, 2d ed. 1895, No. 52; Saunders, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxv, 189(i, p. 2()0, where the exten- 

 sive synonymy is given. (L. argentatus d. horenlis CouES, B. N. W. 1874. p. 021!. L. affinis, 

 N'r.LSDN, Cruise of the Corwin, 1883, p. 107.) 



L. califor'nicus. Califounian Gull. Bill moderately stout, the angle well developed; 

 varying in size, longer than in delaivarensis, sometimes nearly equalling that of argentatus. 

 Tarsus equal to or slightly longer than middle toe and claw. Adult ^ 9 - summer plumage : 

 15111 chrome-yellow, tinged with greenish; a vermilion spot on lower mandible at anu;K' ; a 

 black spot just above, forming, with a very small black spot on upper mandible, an imperfect 

 transverse band. Feet dusky bluish-green : welis gellow. Mantle pcarl-bhie, uan-h as in 

 ^mc/i //r/(//nc/<«.s-, lighter than in crtHM,"?, slightly tlarker than m argentatus. Primaries: bases 

 <if all ligiit blMish-wIiitc, internally almost white, especially on outer webs, and of great extent 

 nn all ; 1st with a white space at end for about 2.00, the shaft while along the white portion 



