210 



Larus gelastes, Thienem. 



Larus gelastes, Thien. Fortpfianz. ges. Vor/. tab. xc. fig. 4 (1845—54) ; 

 Saunders, Ibis, 1871, p. 400; Jiree, Birds Eur. 2ud ed. v. p. 72, 

 pi. _ (1876); Dresser, Birds Eur. riii. p. 389 (1878); Oates ed. 

 Hume, Nests |- Efjgs Ind. B. iii. p. 294 (1890) ; Sharpe, Ibis, 1801, 

 p. 115; Saunders, Cat. Birds B. M. xxy. p. 230 (1896) ; Sharpe, 

 Hand-l. i. p. 140 (1899). 



Gelastes lambruschiaii, Baedeker, Eier Eur. Voy. tab. 72. fig. 1 (1855-63). 



The eggs of the Slender-billed Gull are fairly uniform in colour. 

 They are of a broad, pointed oval form. The ground of the 

 majority of the eggs is pure white, but a few have it of a pale cream- 

 colour, and others of a pinkish buff-colour. The surface-markings, 

 consisting of spots and blotches, are frequently black ; at times 

 yellowish brown, chocolate-brown, or even reddish brown. The 

 underlying markings are of a pale purple and very conspicuous. On 

 many examples, the surface-markings are small and evenly dis- 

 tributed over the shell ; on others, they consist of huge blotches as 

 well as spots, and they are frequently massed together at the broad 

 end, where they form an ill-defined cap or zone. Some specimens 

 are marked with lines and scrawls. The eggs measure from 2-1 to 

 2-27 in length, and from 1-45 to 1-6 in breadth. 



2. South Spain. Lord Lilford [P.]. 



2. San Lucar, Spain, Mav (Rviz). Saunders Coll. 

 4. Delta of the Danube (Y. iro««wrf). Seebohm Coll. 



3. Black Sea, June {W. II. Cullen). Seebohm Coll. 



2. Dobrudscha, 30th June ( W. H. C). Dr. C. R. Bree [P.]. 

 1. Dobrudscha, 1st July ( W. B. C). Dr. C. R. Bree [P.]. 



3. Dobrudscha, 10th June [H. See- Seebohm Coll. 



buhm). 



16. Delia of the Volga (Henke). Seebohm Coll. 



1 . Smyrna. Saunders Coll. 



2. Lake Menzaleh, Egypt (E. C. Saunders Coll. 



Taylor). 

 7. Abdullah Bank, Persian Gulf, W. D. Cumming, Esq. [P.]. 



April. 

 2. Osmarra, Mekran Coast, 28th May Saunders Coll. 



{E. A. Butkr). 

 21. Osmarra, 28th May [E. A. B.). Hume Coll. 



Larus novae-hollandiae, Steph. 



Bruchigavia jamesonii, Gould, Handh. Birds Ausfr. ii. p. 387 (1865) ; 



Campbell, Nests Sf Eygs Avstr. Birds, p. 65 (1883). 

 Bruchigavia gouldi, Guid'd, Handb. Birds Austr. ii. ]>. 388 (1865). 

 Xenia novse-hollandise, North, Nests Sf Eyys Austr. Birds, p. 351, pi. xx. 



fig. 4(1889). 

 Larus novse-hollandiee, Le Sou'ef, Ibis, 1895, p. 421 ; Saunders, Cat. 



Birds B. M. xxv. p. 235 (1896) ; Sharpe, Hand-l. i. p. 141 (1899). 



The small series of eggs of the Silver Gull in the Collection shows 

 that there is considerable variation in their colour. They are of 

 a rather broad oval form, about half of the specimens being pointed 

 and the others blunt. The ground varies from pale green to pale 



