LARIDE, GULLS. —GEN. 281-5. 311 
2-8 years; in the interim, birds are found in every stage. They are always darker 
than the old, often quite dusky ; usually with black or flesh-colored bill; and of those 
with black on the primaries when adult, the young usually have these quills all 
black. There being no peculiar extra-limital species, those of our country give a 
perfect idea of the whole group. Some seventy-five species are currently reported ; 
there are certainly not over fifty, and I doubt that there are over forty unques- 
tionable species. For these, thirty! generic names have been invented, nine-tenths 
of which are simply preposterous. 
N.B. In using the following descriptions, understand that the color is white, 
unless otherwise stated. 
281-5. Genus LARUS Linneus. 
A. Species of largest to medium size, of robust form, with a stout bill, more or 
less strongly hooked, and protuberant at the symphysis ; the white of the under parts 
never rosy-tinted, nor the head enveloped in a dark-colored hood. 
a. Hind toe well developed, bearing a perfect claw. 
* Tail of the adult entirely white. 
+ Feet not black; and with full webs. 
{ Primaries without any Dlack. 
Glaucous Gull. Ice Gull. Burgomaster. Primaries entirely white, or 
palest possible pearly-blue fading insensibly into white at some distance from 
the end, their shafts straw-yellow; mantle palest pearly-blue; bill yellow, 
with vermilion spot on lower mandible; feet flesh colored or pale yellowish. 
In winter, head and hind neck lightly touched with dusky. Young: impure 
white, with or without traces of pearly on the mantle; head, neck and upper 
parts mottled with pale brownish (sometimes quite dusky on the back), the 
under parts a nearly uniform but very faint shade of the same, the quills and 
tail often imperfectly barred with the same; bill flesh-colored or yellowish, 
black-tipped. Very large; length about 50; extent 60; wing 18, or more ; 
bill 22 or more; tarsi 3 or more. Arctic America; S. coastwise in winter 
-to the Middle States. Ricn., F. B.-A. ii, 416; Nurr., ii, 306; Aun., vii, 
170, pl. 449; Lawr. in Bp., 842.—Z. hutchinsti Ricu., FE. B.-A. ii, 419? 
Cougs, Proc. Phila. Acad. 1862, 294, and Proc. Essex Inst. v, 806; Exuior, 
pl. 53 (young). . . . GLAUCUS. 
White-winged Gull. eroniadly iilze ihe races tae Sense ; length about 
24 (rather less than more) ; wing 16-17; bill 13-2; tarsus 2-23. Same 
habitat. Ruicu., F. B.-A. ii, 418; Nurr., ii, 305; Aup., vii, 159, pl. 447; 
WAWRASIN De hO4o. «8 oss : . . LEUCOPTERUS. 
Glaucous-winged Gull. Primaries a tHe goles of ie: mantle to the very 
tips, which are occupied by definite small white spots; the Ist also with a 
large white sub-apical spot. Mantle average “gull-blue ;” bill yellow with 
red spot; feet flesh-colored ; in winter, the head and hind neck clouded with 
dusky. Young: gray, more or less variegated with whitish, chiefly in bars 
on the back and Hee: bill black, or pale with dark tip. Size and shape of 
argentatus; the adult is exactly like that species, excepting that the primaries 
have the color of the mantle, instead of black; the young are much paler 
than young herring-gulls. I have seen no specimens not instantly distin- 
