LAEUS DOMINICANUS. 15 



pure white. Young generally browu, mottled with black and white. 

 Tail of No. 58 shows a black band at tip, while that of Ko. 156 is tipped 

 very narrowly with white. The intermediate specimens have the white 

 tips of primaries in various approximations to adult plumage. 



Tarsus and foot, adult, yellow, with a greenish tint posteriorly. 

 Young pale-gray (156), yellowish-gray (84), or ash-colored (58), the scu- 

 tellated line being darker than the rest. 



Clatv black. 



Stomach muscular, containing remains of shell-fish. 



Young (unfledged) reddish-brown, mottled with black. 



Eggs three in number, olive-greeu, mottled with black or very dark- 

 brown. 



These very handsome gulls were seen first in Table Bay in July, and 

 afterward near the Crozet Islands. They are readily recognized by the 

 broad, white, fringe-like band along the free edge of the wings. At 

 Kerguelen they were very plentiful, breeding upon the island. So late 

 as November 18, 1 note that the ovaries were not greatly enlarged, but 

 that " the birds show a good deal more excitement than usual of late, 

 circling high in air, making a great outcry, and frequently leaving their 

 feeding-grounds to fly inland in considerable numbers". Two nests were 

 found December 21, containing each three olive-green eggs, plentifully 

 marked with black blotches. The nests were built up of grass and sea- 

 weed, and were very wet within, situated just beneath the edge of 

 herbage that fringes the shiugle-beaches. All of the eggs contained 

 feathered embryos. I had been looking for them upon the higher land, 

 where the birds had for some time had a habit of alighting in consider- 

 able numbers, and hence had overlooked them at the time of first laying. 

 We generally avoided the rough shingle in walking along the shore. 



Excepting some signs of excitement already noted, and a tendency to 

 congregate in considerable numbers high in the air, noticed early in 

 November, there was never any very obvious sign that the gulls were 

 pairing; no selection of mates or diminution of sociability. They nest 

 also upon low land, at some distance from the sea. In such a spot, I 

 found several young birds on January 2. 



They have several different notes or cries : one, which is uttered 

 when the bird is swimming, at some distance from the others, has been 

 mistaken more than once for a human call of distress j another, uttered 

 when many are together, is like the cry of the laughing-gull. There is 

 a sort of "creak", uttered when the bird is swinging itself lazily along 

 in the air. and a series of short calls, like the mewing of a kitten, 



