406 LARID.E. 



innei- webs ; cliin and tliroat greyish- wliite ; neck and breast 

 slate-grey, and as dark as tlie back ; abdomen, tliighs, and 

 flanks lead-grey ; under wing and tail-coverts white ; legs, 

 toes, and membranes red, the membranes deeply indented. 

 From the point of the beak to the first feathers on the fore- 

 head one inch and one eighth ; from the point of the beak to 

 the end of the middle, or short, tail-feathers, ten inches and a 

 half, to the end of the outside, and longest tail-feather one 

 inch more, making the whole length eleven inches and a half. 

 From the carpal joint of the wing to the end of the first 

 quill-feather, which is the longest, nine inches and one- quar- 

 ter ; length of the tarsus seven-eighths of an inch ; of the 

 middle toe three-quarters of an inch, claw of the middle toe 

 three-eighths of an inch, strong and curved. 



Adult birds in winter, according to M. Temminck, have 

 the forehead, crown, occiput, neck, and all the under parts 

 pure white ; a black spot behind the eyes ; mantle, back, 

 wings, tail-coverts and tail-feathers uniform ash-grey ; bill, 

 legs, and feet deep lake-red. 



Young birds of the year have the crown of the head varied 

 with red and brown ; occiput and ear-coverts greyish-black ; 

 the feathers of the back, scapulars and secondaries brown in 

 the middle, bordered and tipped with dirty flesh-colour ; tail- 

 feathers blackish-grey towards the end, but ti])ped with 

 white ; beak brown, red at the base ; legs and feet flesh- 

 colour. 



