24 Allen's naturalist's library. 



in. THE mediterranean black-headed gull, larus 



MELANOCEPHALUS. 



Larus itielanocephahis, Natterer, Isis, 1818, p. 816 ; Dresser, 

 B Eur. viii. p. 365, pi. 597, fig. 2 (1878); B. O. U. List 

 Brit. B. p. 191 (1883) ; Saunders, ed. Yarrell's Brit. B. 111. 

 p. 604, note (1884); id. Man. Brit. B. p. 651 (1889); 

 Lilford, Col. Fig. Brit. B. part xxxi. (1895); Saunders, 

 Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxv. p. 180 (1896). 



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

 coverts like the back; bastard-wing pearly-grey, whitish towards 

 the end of the feathers ; primary-coverts pearly-grey, as_ also 

 the primaries, which are white at the ends and along the inner 

 aspect of the inner web ; the first primary black from the base 

 of the outer web for about two-thirds of its length ; secondaries 

 white, the innermost pearly-grey like the back ; lower rump, 

 upper tail-coverts, and tail pure white ; head all round jet- 

 black, with a little patch of white above and below the eye ; 

 hind-neck, sides of neck, and under surface of body from 

 the lower throat downwards, pure white, including the under 

 wing-coverts and axillaries ; bill rich coral-red, with more or 

 less of a blackish band in front of the angle; tarsi and toes 

 red ; a red ring round the eye ; iris dark brown. Total length, 

 15-5 inches; culmen, 1*45; wing, 11*4; tail, 4-6 ; tarsus, 1-95. 



Adult Female — Similar to the male, but a trifle smaller, and 

 with a less robust bill. Total length, 15 inches; wing, 11 -2. 



Adult in Winter.— Lacks the black head of the summer 

 plumage, the crown being white, with streaks of ashy towards 

 the nape ; a spot in front of the eye blackish ; ear-coverts 

 ashy-grey ; bill and feet duller in colour. 



Young. — Brown above, like other young Gulls. Distinguished 

 from the old birds by the colour of the quills ; the primary- 

 coverts and quills blackish on both webs, the first primary with 

 a small longitudinal mark of white near the end of the inner 

 web ; the second and third with a good deal more white on 

 the inner web, extending from the base to within an inch and 

 a half of the tip ; the white increasing on the inner primaries 



