'288 LAKT7S. 



and resembling the terns also in their cry. These 

 nave been placed in a separate genus, X<>ma, which, 

 in the general system, may be adopted ; we shall 

 here, however, include all under the generic title of 

 LaruS) deriving our characters from the larger spe- 

 cies. These, the True Gulls, have a wide geogra- 

 phical range, are almost entirely maritime in habits, 

 breed principally on precipitous coasts, have very 

 ample powers of flight, and feed on almost any ani- 

 mal matter in addition to the living produce of the 

 seas. The seasonal change is comparatively slight, 

 the head in summer being pure white, in some, 

 during winter, streaked with grey along the shafts 

 of the feathers. 



GENUS LARUS. Linnceus. Generic characters. 

 Bill strong, cultrated, maxilla with the tip 

 sharp and much curved, mandible with a strong 

 angle ; nostrils lateral, central, widest anteriorly, 

 pervious ; wings long, accuminate; legs central, 

 tibiae bare for some portion, feet strong, pal- 

 mated but formed for walking, hallux articu- 

 lated on the tarsus. 



Note. First divison or Xema, breed in colonies in- 

 land ; insectivorous ; decided seasonal change ; 

 size small. True Gulls, Larus, are maritime, 

 gregarious during incubation, no decided 

 sonal change; size generally large. 



