LITTLE GULL. 



49 



the hind-toe is joined to the inner one by a strong serrated 

 membrane, and in the Kitti wakes of the genus Missa the hind- 

 toe is obsolete or rudimentary. 



L THE LITTLE GULL. LARUS MINUTUS. 



Larus viinutus, Pallas, Reise Russ. Reichs, iii. p. 702, App. 

 no. 35 (1776); Dresser, B. Eur. viii. p. 373, pis. 599, 599A 

 (1871); B. O. U. List Brit. B. p. 191 (1883); Saunders, 

 ed. Yarrell's Brit. B. iii. p. 589 (1884); Seebohm, Hist. 

 Brit. B. iii. p. 301 (1S85); Saunders, Man. Brit. B. p. 647 

 (1889); Lilford, Col. Fig. Brit. B. part xxix. (1894); 

 Saunders, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxv. p. 173 (1896J. 



Gavia 7ni?iuta, Macgill. Brit. B. v. p. 613 (1852). 



Adult Male. — General colour above delicate pearly-grey, the 

 wing-coverts like the back, as also the bastard-wing and 

 primary-coverts ; quills a little darker pearly-grey, with broad 

 white tips, except on the innermost secondaries, which are 

 like the back ; the primaries blackish along the inner web, this 

 black more extended on the first primaries, the outermost 

 being blackish along the outer web also ; rump, upper tail- 

 coverts, and tail pure white ; head all round black ; the nape 

 and hind-neck, as w^ell as the sides of the neck, pure white, 

 extending over the mantle ; under surface of body, from the 

 low^er throat downwards, pure white, with a tinge of pink ; 

 under wing-coverts and axillaries slaty-grey, the median coverts 

 blackish, like the quill-lining ; " bill deep lake-red (reddish- 

 brown in preserved skins) ; tarsi and toes vermilion (drying 

 orange-red); iris brown" (H. Sarmders). Total length, 10-5 

 inches; culmen, 0*85; wing, 8-91 ; tail, 3"55; tarsus, 1-2. 



Adult Female. — Similar to the male. Total length, 10*2 inches ; 

 wing, 8-3. 



Adult in Winter Plumage. — Wants the black head of the 

 summer plumage, the forehead being white, and the vertex, 

 hinder crown, and nape slaty-grey, blackish behind the eye. 

 The grey soon changes to black. 



Young. — Blackish-brown above, the feathers with white mar- 

 gins, broader on the scapulars and inner secondaries ; lesser 



IS E 



