SABINE S GULL. 



421 



NATATORES. 



LARID.E. 



SABINKS GULL. 



Larus Sabiiii, Sabine's Gnit, .Tenyns, Brit. Vert. p. 270. 



Xema ,, ,, Xeme, Eyton, Rare Brit. Birds, p. 64. 



,, ,, ,, Gull, Gould, Birds of Europe, pt. xxi. 



Larus Sabinei, Mouette de Sabine, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. vol. iv. p. 488. 



Larus. Generic Characters. — Bill of moderate length, strong, bard, com- 

 pressed, cutting, slightly curved towards the point, lower mandible shorter than 

 the upper, the symphisis angular, prominent. Nostrils lateral, near the middle 

 of the beak, pierced longitudinally, pervious. Legs slender, lower part of the 

 tibiae naked, the tarsus long, three toes in front entirely palmated, the hind toe 

 free, sliort, articulated high up on the tarsus above the line of the other toes. 

 Wings long, the first quill- feather nearly as long as the second, which is the 

 longest in the wing. Tail square at the end or slightly forked. 



The prominent angle at tlie symphisis of the under man- 

 dible ; the extent of the palmated membrane between the 

 toes, and the almost square tail observed, more or less, in 

 some of the Terns indicate a degree of connection with the 

 Gulls ; and the Gull here first inserted, by its slightly- forked 



