FAMILY LARIDAE 445 



Maine and Florida on the eastern coast of the United States, indicate 

 a heavy mortality among first year birds, as only 2 among 64 had 

 lived beyond the first winter. The reports of these returns cover 

 the entire range in the Republic. 



The laughing gull is probably the principal species concerned in the 

 account of Lionel Wafer (Voy. and Descript. Isthm. Amer., 1699, 

 p. 121) whose observations made in 1681 are as follows: "There are 

 a great many Sea-Gulls and Sea-Pies on that Coast ; both of them 

 much like ours, but rather smaller. The Flesh of both these is eaten 

 commonly enough, and 'tis tolerable good Meat, but of a Fishy Tast, 

 as Sea-fowl usually are. Yet to correct this Tast, when we kill'd any 

 Sea-Gulls, Sea-Pies, Boobies, or the like, on any Shore, we us'd to 

 make a Hole in the hot Sand, and there bury them for eight or ten 

 Hours, with their Feathers on, and Guts in them : And upon dressing 

 them afterwards, we found the Flesh tenderer, and the Tast not so 

 rank nor fishy." 



LARUS PIPIXCAN Wagler: Franklin's Gull; Gaviota de Franklin 



FlGtTRE 70 



Larus Pipixcan Wagler, Isis von Oken, vol. 24, heft 5, (May) 1831, col. SIS. 

 (Mexico.) 



Middle toe with claw about equal in length to culmen. In flight, 

 adult, wing appears light gray to white, with a prominent sub- 

 terminal black band and white tip, tail white. Immature, wing wholly 

 dark at tip like laughing gull; markings on back of head blacker, 

 more definite ; tail with subterminal black band and distinct white tip. 



Description. — Length 330-380 mm. Adult, in summer dress, head 

 and upperneck slaty black ; a white spot on eyelid ; back, scapulars, 

 and wings neutral gray, with tertials and secondaries broadly tipped 

 with white; 5 outer primaries with a subterminal black band, and 

 white tip, bordered above by white of central part of wing; tail white, 

 with middle rectrices tinged with gray ; lower neck (front and back), 

 rump, upper tail coverts, and lower surface white. 



Winter dress, head and neck white, with back and side of head 

 dusky gray. 



Immature, like winter adult, but outer primaries black like laugh- 

 ing gull; tail with a broad black subterminal bar and distinct white 

 tip. Differs from laughing gull in smaller size, particularly of bill. 



Measurements (from Ridgway, I.e., p. 642). — Males, wing 280-295 

 (289.6), tail 97-109 (103.9), culmen 30-34 (32.6), tarsus 38-42.5 

 (40.8) middle toe 31.5-33 (32,4) mm. 



