BIEDS OF EGYPT. 309 



grey ; primaries tipped with white, and the outer web of the 

 first one black for three quarters of its length ; remainder of 

 the plumage white, with a delicate pink blush on the chest ; 

 beak, eyelids, and legs coral-red ; irides dark brown. 



Mr. Howard Saunders (Ibis, 1872, p. 79) has given some 

 remarks on the distinctions between this species and the 

 common Black-headed Gull, which may be useful to my 

 readers : — " In the adult plumage this species is distinguish- 

 able at a glance from L. ridibimdus ; and even immature birds 

 of the former show a stronger bill and somewhat larger tarsi ; 

 still the best distinction exists in the first primary. In young 

 L. melanocephalus that portion of the inner web which lies 

 next to the shaft is smoke-coloured on both upper and under 

 sides, whereas in L. ridibundus it is white, as is also the 

 shaft. This holds good until L. melanoce'phalas has lost all 

 colour on the inner web of the first primary, when the dark 

 edging of the same feather in L. ridibundus forms a still more 

 marked distinction. A further peculiarity of this species is, 

 that although it assumes the black head in its second spring, 

 when it commences to breed, yet it does not acquire the full 

 white primaries until the third spring." 



Entbe length 15 inches; culmen 1-3; wing, carpus to 

 tip, 11-3 ; tarsus VI. 



Fig. Gould, B. of Eur. pi. 427. 



343. Larus ridibundus, Linn. Blach-headed Gull. 



This Gull is extremely abundant in Lower and Middle 

 Egypt, where it remains the whole year ; but I know of no 

 instance of its capture in Nubia. During March 1870, when 



