852 



U. S p. E. K. EXP. AND SURVEYS — ZOOLOGY — GENERAL REPORT. 



at the end: the second, third, fourth, and fifth also crossed with black towards their ends, decreasing behind ;on the si.vth a nar- 

 row bar of black; the tips of all white, occupying most space on the sixth and lessening in extent to the first, where it beconif s a 

 mere edging ; the remaining primaries, the secondaries, and tertiaries terminate largely with white ; the shafts of llic three outer 

 primaries are blackish brown ; the three lateral tail feathers are while, the others light pearl blue, deepest in color on the two 

 central ones ; bill deep carmine, crossed near the end with black, lip dull yellow ; legs and feet red. 



Length of skin about 13 inches ; wing, 11 J ; tail, 4 ; bill, IJ, depth at base G-16, at angle 5-16 ; tarsus 1^ ; middle toe and 

 claw, H. 



Young. Differs from the adult inliaving the forehead grayish white, crown, occiput, and siaes of the head blackish brow.n, 

 the white eye spots as in the adult ; the lesser wing coverts brownish ash, the primaries much darker, the inner ones tipped with 

 white ; secondaries and tertiaries with dark brown centres and ending with white ; tail crossed with a subterminal band of 

 brownish black. 



Length of skin, 131 inches ; wing, 11 ; tail, 4; bill, I5 ; tarsus, 1|. 



Hab. — Panama ; coast of Louisiana. 



Two specimens are in the collection ; the adult is in fine plumage, and was obtained in 

 Louisiana by Mr. G. Wurdemann, the first instance of its occurrence within the limits of the 

 United States. This example agreeing so well with Bruch's description of cucullatus, cited above, 

 I have referred it to that species. Mr. Bruch considers L. pipixcan, Wagler, to be the same as 

 cucullatus, but in Wagler's description nothing is said of the white eye spots, which are a very 

 conspicuous character. 



List of specimens. 



CHROICOCEPHALUS PHILADELPHIA, Lawrence. 



Bonaparte's Gull. 



Sterna Philadelphia, Ord, Guthrie's Geog. 2d Am. ed. II, 1815, 319. 



Larvs capistratus, Bonap. Syn. 1828, No. 293. 



Larus bonapartei, Rich. & Sw. F. B. A. II, 1831, 425; pi. l.\xii.— Nutt. Man. II, 1834, 294.— Aud. Birds Am. VII, 



1844, 131 ; pi. ccccxlli. 

 Chroicocephalus bonapartei, Brdch, Cab. Jour. 1855, 292. 



Sp. Ch. Jiiult. Head and upper part of neck grayish black, this color extending rather lower on the throat than on liie neck 



behind ; lower part of neck, under plumage, rump, and tad white ; back and wings clear bluish gray ; first primary black on the 

 outer web ; inner web of the first primary, both webs of the second, and the outer web of the third white; the inner web of the 

 third and all the oilier primaries are of the same color as the back ; the si.\ outer primaries have their ends black for the extent 

 of about an inch on the central ones, but less on the first and sixth, they are all slightly tipped with white ; shoulders, anterior 

 borders of the wings, and outer webs of the primary coverts white ; bill deep black ; inside of mouth carmine ; iris hazel ; legs 

 and feet orange with a reddish tinge. 



Length, 14^ inches ; wing, 10| ; tail, 4} ; bill, il ; tarsus, 1 5-16. 



JIab. — Texas to Nova Scotia, Mississippi river, fur countries. Pacific coast of North America. 



The young have the head white, intermixed on tlie occiput and hind neck with dark gray ; a 

 round spot of dark plumbeous behind the eye ; the smaller wing coverts brown ; the outer webs 

 of several of the primaries and a subterminal band on the tail black. 



There are eleven specimens in the collection. 



The specific name of " bonapartei," under which this species has been so long known, in my 



