420 LARIDAG 
About the end of May or early in June, 1859, an adult, in 
nuptial plumage, was shot off Exmouth when associating 
with a flock of Black-headed Gulls. The bird is preserved 
in the Exeter Museum (Ross., Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist., 
1859, p. 467). 
DESCRIPTIVE CHARACTERS. 
PLUMAGE. Adult male nuptial—Head, jet-black ; small 
white crescentic patch above the eye and another below ; 
back and wings, darker ‘ pearl’ grey than in L. ridibundus ; 
secondaries, broadly margined with white, forming a con- 
spicuous wing-bar; primaries, chiefly whitish, the first six 
being barred with black; neck, breast, abdomen, and tail, 
pure white. 
Adult female nuptial.—Similar in plumage to the male. 
Adult winter, male and female.—Resembles the nuptial 
plumage, except that the head is streaked with brownish- 
black. 
Immature, male and female.—Head, sides of neck, back, 
and wings, mottled with brown; primaries, brown ; secon- 
daries, brown, broadly edged with white, and bordered with 
white along the outer webs; tail, white, banded on its 
terminal portion with blackish-brown. 
Nestling.—Greyish-white. 
Beak. Deep yellowish-red at the angle, and banded 
with black. 
FEET. Olive colour; webs, orange. 
IrmpEs. Very dark brown. 
Eeas. Yellowish-stone colour with large streaks and 
blotches of brown and black: clutch, three. 
AYERAGE MEASUREMENTS. 
TOTAL LENGTH. ... ... 26 in. Female smaller. 
WING a oe ae * 
BEAK ae oe a 4s, 
TARSO-METATARSUS ae eon rss 
Eee a. a nik D5: x Damn. 
