242 SPOLIA ZEYLANICA. 
Sub-family Larine. 
Gulls. 
Gulls are in general birds of the sea, though many of them 
are also found on inland waters, and some of them breed far 
from the coast. They are fairly stout in build ; the wings 
are long, and when closed project beyond the tail ; the tarsus 
is shortish, and the feet large ; the front toes are fully webbed ; 
the bill is of moderate length and fairly strong, the upper 
mandible being curved downwards at the tip into a moderate 
hook. They habitually rest on the surface of the water, 
sitting very buoyantly. Often, however, they take to the 
land, and can walk well. Their food consists mainly of dead 
fish, floating garbage, and crustacea. 
The sub-family is not well represented in Ceylon. Only one 
genus occurs within Indian limits, and of this genus only two 
species visit us. Neither of them breeds anywhere near the 
Island, and one of them visits us only as a very occasional 
storm-driven straggler. 
Rough Key to Ceylon Larine. 
A.—Length 26 ; wing 19. 
Larus ichthyaetus (the Great Black-headed Gull). 
B.—Length 17 ; wing 13. 
Larus brunneicephalus (the Brown-headed Gull). 
LARUS ICHTHYAETUS (Blanford, Vol. IV., p. 299 ; 
Legge, p. 1046). 
The Great Black-headed Gull. 
Description —Adult summer plumage: The whole of the 
head, including the nape and throat, jet-black, contrasting 
sharply with the neck and lower parts, which, together with 
the tail coverts and tail, are white. There are two minute 
patches of white, one above and one below each eye. The 
mantle down to the rump, with the wing coverts and tertiaries, 
are pale slate-gray ; first five primary quills white crossed near 
the tip by a bar of black ; first quill also black along most of 
the outer web ; later primaries gray on the inner web, white 
on the outer web and tip ; secondaries mostly gray. 
