LAREDO — THE GULLS AND TERNS. 227 



ou the 2d the air was filled with numbers of this species which 

 had arrived during the night. The Icelanders concluded from 

 the sudden appearance of the birds that shoals of codfij^h must 

 have arrived on the coast, and it was soon found that this con- 

 jecture was correct. And there, where but a short time before 

 an ornithological quiet had reigned, everything became enlivened 

 by the coming of these birds, which hovered over the nets with- 

 out intermission, and with incessant cries. 



Daring the winter these Gulls were Faber's weather-guide. If 

 they swam near the shore with their feathers puffed out, then 

 on the following day storms and snow were to be expected. In 

 fine weather the birds soared high in the air. These Gulls often 

 sat by hundreds on a piece of ice, and in this way were drifted 

 many miles. Their habits differ from those of the Glaucous Gull, 

 which moves with more energ}', while the leucopterus in its flight 

 and deportment is the more graceful of the two. The latter is 

 said to hover over its prey, to be somewhat gi-eedy, alwaj's 

 active, and never afraid to fight for its food with antagonists 

 of equal or even superior strength. 



Larus marinus Linn. 



BLACK-BACEEO GVLL. 



Popular synonyms. Saddle-back; Farmer Gull (Bay of Fundy). 



Larua marinus LiNN. S. N. od. 10. 1. HiS. 13C: ed. 12. i. MX. 2i5.— NuTT. Man. 11. 1831, S08.— 

 AUD. Orn. Bioc. ili. 1835.305: v. 1S3'.63«. pi. 241; Syn0|.. 183!>,329: B. Am. vii. 1844. 172. 

 pi. 450.— Lawb. In Baird's B. N. Am. l&'.S. 814.— Baibd. Cai. N. Am. B. 18511. No. ma.— 

 COUES, Key, 1872.312: Check List. I873.No. 5IU; 2d. ed. 18S2. No. 771: B. N. W. 1871.621.— 

 RiDOW. .Nom. N. Am. B. 1881. No. 663; Man. N. Am. B. 1887. 2j.— B. B. & R. Water B.N. 

 Am. ii. 1881. 2J5.— A. O. U. Che?k List. 1886. No. 47. 



Larus niger Bbiss. Orn. vi. 1760, 158. 



Larus naevius Linn. S. N. ed. 12.1. 176C. 225. 



Larus rnaculatuf Bodd. Tabl. P. E 1783, 16 (neo BbOnn. 17C4). 



Laruf Tnaximus Leach. Cat. 1816, 40. 



Larus mutleri BsEaM, V6g. Deutsuhl. 1831,729. 



Larus fahricii Bbeh.m, t. c. 730. 



Has. Coasts of the North Atlantic: In America, south In winter to Florida and the 

 Great Lakes. 



8p. Chab. Size very large (about equal to L. g'aucns). Adult, summer pUnnage: 

 Mantle dark brownish slate, the 8econ<laries and lertials broadly (the former abruptly) 

 tipped with white; flrnt primary black, with the end. for a dl^-tanco of about 2.50 inches, 

 white: second similar, but the while tip marked n^ar the end by a broad black bar on one 

 or both webs: fourth quill black, lipped with white; Ilfth and sixth quills more slay, tipped 

 with white, and a wide black subtermlnal space, preceded by an Irregular white bar; 

 sliorter quills lighter slate, widely tipped with white. Itust of the plumage pure while. 

 "Bill ctamboge-yellow, the lower mandible bright carmine toward the end: edges of eye- 



