870 BIRDS OF TUNISIA 



fresh, with pale inky-grey shell-markings, and black or blackish-brown 

 surface-spots. 



LARUS AUDOUINI, Payraudeau. 

 AUDOUIN'S GULL. 



Larus audouini, Payraucleajt, Ann. Sci. Nat. viii, p. 4G2 (1826) ; 

 Malherbc, Fame Om. de I'Alcj. p. 35 (1855); Eoenig, J.f. 0. 1888, 

 p. 284 ; SatmJcrs, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxv, p. 271. 



Gavina audouini, Loche, Expl. Sci. Alg. Ois. ii, p. 182 (1867). 



Gavia audouini, Kocnig, J.f. 0. 1893, p. 99. 



Description. — Adult male, spring, from Kamars, North Tunisia. 



Head, neck, upper tail-coverts, tail and entire under parts white ; mantle, 

 back, rump, scapulars, secondaries and upper wing-coverts pearl-grey ; 

 outermost primary black, with a white spot on the inner web about an inch 

 from the tip, the other primaries less black and more grey as they approach 

 the secondaries, hvX all with white tips. 



Iris hazel ; bare skin round the eye coral-red ; bill coral-red, with a black 

 band towards the tip ; feet very dark grey. 



Total length 1950 inches, wing 15'30, culmen 2, tarsus 2'20. 



Adult female similar to the male. 



An immature example in my collection from Tunis has a small grey 

 patch just behind the eye, the upper wing-coverts slightly mottled with 

 brown, and the primaries entirely black, without any white spots or white 

 tips. The bill has the black aubapical band broader. 



Some of the specimens in the Lilford collection are labelled as having the 

 feet of a dark olive-green colour. 



This handsome Gull is not common in Tunisia, but occurs on 

 some parts of the north coast, and on the adjacent small islands. 

 I have three examples of it from the Kegeucy, obtained in spring by 

 Blanc, according to whom the species probably breeds on the small 

 island of Zembra, near Cape Bon. It is said to be found also on the 

 Island of Galita, off the North Tunisian coast. 



Loche states that the species is found on the shores of Algeria, 

 where it breeds, but gives no particulars. From Marocco there seems 

 to be no record of its occurrence. 



The range of this Gull is very limited, being apparently confined 

 to the Mediterranean, and more particularly to some of the islands of 



