486 On the Immature Plumage of Rliodostetliia rosea. 



inner toe '95 in. ; hind toe and nail well developed ; nails 

 black.' Colour of legs and feet (evidently much faded) yel- 

 lowish clay. 



I am inclined to think that these are birds of a trifle more 

 than a year old, just beginning to lose the black collar which 

 they assumed for the first time in the spring of the year in 

 which they were obtained ; but considering the utter want of 

 trustworthy data respecting the time occupied in acquiring 

 the successive stages of plumage, this is mere conjecture and 

 given for what it is worth. 



The history of these specimens is not very satisfactory. 

 They were purchased some years ago from the Maison Ver- 

 reaux, and were stated to have come from Kamtchatka. When 

 the late M. Jules Verreaux was staying with me in 1870, 1 had 

 a good deal of conversation with him about Laridae and the 

 Briich collection, and I remember his expatiating upon the 

 beauty, and especially the lovely rose-tint, of two specimens 

 which he had sent to the Mayence Museum ; he also per- 

 sisted that they really did come from Kamtchatka, and that 

 he had had them from a Pole who had been there. It 

 was impossible to contradict him ; but for various reasons, 

 upon which I need not enlarge, I was sceptical as to the 

 locality, and continue to be so. It is true that another 

 arctic species {Xema sabinii) has been found breeding in both 

 continents; but then its range can be traced from Green- 

 land right across the American continent, and it is quite na- 

 tural that it should pass into Siberia ; whereas the Americans, 

 with all their energy and research, have hitherto failed to 

 acquire a single specimen of Rhodostethia rosea, either in 

 their own Alaska possessions, or in those portions of Kamt- 

 chatka visited by the United-States-Telegraph Surveying Ex- 

 pedition, which was accompanied by most able naturalists. 

 In fact, what little we do know about this Gull tends to show 

 that its habitat is extremely restricted ; but upon this point it 

 is needless to say more, as our Arctic expedition will, we 

 trust, give us some further account of it. 



It may be as well to give a re\dsed list of the specimens of 

 this rare Gull existing in collections. 



