LARIDjE — LARINjE: GULLS. 



999 



age with buff tips of many feathers; no collar; some dark bars on sides of neck. Later the 

 pearly-blue of the mantle appears in patches, while the tail is still black-tipped, before the 

 black collar is formed. Bill black; feet dull reddish. Length 12.50; extent 29.00; wing 

 9.50; tail 4.00, graduated less than 1.00; bill 0.50 (Nelson, Kep. Alaska, J 887, p. 55, 

 pi. iii). A highly circumpolar species, perhaps the most exclusively so of all birds, inhabiting 

 the Arctic coasts and islands of North America, Europe, and Asia; S. to St. Michael's, Alaska, 

 southern Greenland, the Faeroes, casually to Heligoland (once, Feb. 5, 1858) and England 

 (once, Yorkshire, Feb. 1847; Zool. p. 1694 and p. 1784). This exquisite Gull, discovered ou 

 Melville Peninsula, June 23, 1823, and first described in 1824, long remained one of the rarest 

 of birds in collections; for many years only about 12 specimens were known, none of thein in 

 any American museum. In 1879 Mr. R. L. Newcomb, naturalist of the ill-fated ship Jeau- 

 nette, secured 8 specimens, 3 of which were preserved. On Oct. 10, 1879, Mr. E. W. Nelson 

 took a young bird at St. Michael's, Alaska. In 1881 many specimens were procured at Point 

 Barrow by Mr. J. Murdoch (Rep. 1885, p. 123, pll. i, ii). In Nov. 1896, F. Nansen announced 

 discovery in August of presumed breeding grounds northeast of Franz Josef Land, lat. 81° 38', 

 E. long. 63° (Ornith. Monatsb. Dec. 1896, j). 193; Science, Jan. 29, 1897, p. 17.5). An egg 

 from Disco Bay, Greenland, lat. 69°, June 15, 1885, measuring 1.90 X 1-30, colored like that 

 of Sabine's Gull, is described in P. Z. S. 1886, p. 82, Auk, 1886, p. 293; but these records are 

 discredited. Best historical notice of the bird is by Murdoch, Auk, Apr. 1899, pp. 146-155. 

 XE'MA. (A nonsense word — soniis sensu carens. It has been conjectured to have been 

 meant by Leach for Xenia, from Gr. ^evia, xenia, a guest, and also written Chema, as if from 

 Gr. x'7M'?' clieme, a yawning or gaping, in supposed allusion to the forked tail.) Fork- 

 tailed Gulls. Tail forked. Head hooded, with a darker collar. Bill shorter than tarsus, 

 black, with light tip. Size small. With a general bearing toward Chro'icocephaliis, in the 

 hooded head and other features, Xema is distinguisiied from this or any other genus of Larinee 

 by the tern-like character of the forked tail, in connection with the small size (wing 11. (X> 

 or less). 



X. sa'binei. (To E. Sabine. Fig. 688.) Fokk-tailed Gull. Sabine's Gull. Adult 

 J 9 7 breeding plumage: liill black to angle, abruptly liright chronie or orange from angle to 

 tip. Mouth bright orange or vermilion ; 

 edges of eyelids orange; feet black. Hood 

 uniform clear deep slate, bounded below by 

 a ring, narrowest on nape, of velvety-black. 

 Lower part of neck all round, tail and its cov- 

 erts, 4 inner primaries, most of the greater 

 coverts, all the secondaries except tips of 

 some of the innermost, and whole under parts, 

 pure white. Mantle .■slate-blue, extending 

 (|uite to tips of inner secondaries. Edge of 

 wing from carpal joint, including bastard 

 wing, black. First 5 primaries, including 

 tlieir .shafts, black ; their extretne tips, and 

 outer half of inner webs to near end, white 

 Other jirimaries white, 6tli with a touch of 

 black on outer web. Length 1.3.75; wing 

 10.75; tail 5.00, forked 1.25; bill along cnlmen 1.00; along gape !..')(); height at angle 0.:«) ; 

 tarsus 1-25; middle too and claw the same. Ailull in winter: Withont hood or collar; head 

 white, u.sually with some dark touches on anricnlars and o(!ciput ; bill oliscured, ami foot not 

 pure black. Young-of-the-ycar : Tail forked, nearly as in adult, but at an early age only 

 emargiuate about 0.50. Bill small and weak, tlesli-color and dusky. Legs ap|>arently tlesh- 



Ki.i. Uss. — .Suliiiic'M (iiiM. (L. A. Kii.Tt4M. ) 



