ICELAND GULL. 



19 



Eggs. — Three in number. There is nothing very distinctive 

 about the colour or markings of the eggs, which look like 

 larger editions of those of the Lesser Black-backed Gull. 

 Some examples are very sparsely marked, and have the spots 

 few and far between, or else have a large blotch of black near 

 the large end of the egg. Axis, 2'g^-T,'o^ inches; diam., 

 2 -0-2 -1 5. To the red variety of the Herring-Gull's egg, figured 

 by Seebohm as the egg of the Glaucous Gull, I have already 

 alluded {snpra^ p. 73). 



XL THE ICELAND GULL. LARUS LEUCOPTERUS. 



Lariis leucopierus^ Faber, Prodr. Isl. Orn. p. 91 (1822); Macgill. 

 Brit. B. V. p. 566 (1852); Dresser, B. Eur. viii. p. 439, 

 pi. 606 (1876); B. O. U. List Brit. B. p. 188 (1883); 

 Saunders, ed. Yarrell's Brit. B. iii. p. 642 (1884); See- 

 bohm, Plist. Brit. B. iii. p. -^^^^ (1885); Saunders, Man. 

 Brit. B. p. 665 (1889) ; Lilford, Col. Fig. Brit. B. part xxvi. 

 (1893) ; Saunders, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxv. p. 295 (1896). 



Adult Male. — Similar to Z. hyperboreits, but smaller, with pro- 

 portionately longer wings ; back delicate pearly-grey, with white 

 ends to the secondaries and scapulars ; primaries pearly-grey, 

 white at the ends and along the inner webs ; rump, upper tail- 

 coverts, and tail white ; head and neck all round, as well as the 

 entire under parts, pure white. Total length, 23-5 inches ; 

 culmen, 1*9; w^ing, 16*5; tail, 6'6 ; tarsus, 2*4. 



Adult Female.- -Similar to the male, but smaller. 



Young-. — Like that of L. hyperboreus^ and having the under 

 surface light ashy-brown, with very pale brown mottlings on 

 the upper surface. The size is, however, smaller. 



Characters. — Like L. hyperboreus, the present species has white 

 quills, but is distinguished from the latter bird by its smaller 

 size. Mr. Saunders observes (Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxv. p. 297) : 

 — " On the wing L. leucopterus has a much more buoyant flight 

 than Z. glaKcus, and the length of wing, in proportion to its 

 comparatively small bulk, is very noticeable ; but prepared and 

 over-stuffed skins sometimes offer difficulties. Still, in spite of 

 its longer wing in proportion to its bulk, the largest male 

 Z. kucopter-us does not attain to the length of wing found in 

 the smallest Z. Rlaiicusy 



