YELLOW-BILLED WATER HEN. 245 



be more black species than one, we have dis- 

 tinguished this by a separate name. 



The whole plumage, in two specimens now be- 

 fore us, is entirely and uniformly black, without any 

 variation of tints either above or below, but the up- 

 per plumage is rather more glossed than the under ; 

 the bill is bright yellow to the very tip, but the base 

 is greenish ; the wings reach to the end of the tail, 

 the feathers of which are broad and peculiarly soft ; 

 the eye-lids and the feet are very bright red, and 

 the claws, which are brown, are not more curved 

 than in other species. 



Total length, 7i inches; bill, front, nearly 1 ; 

 wings, 4 T 3 (j ; tarsus, 1 1 ; naked space above the 

 knee, -fa ; middle toe and claw, 2 ; hinder ditto, T V 



OUU* 



larus powcephalus, SWAINS. 

 PLATE XXIX. 



Head and chin covered with a hood of light cinereous ; spu- 

 rious wings, with the base and tips of the primary quills, 

 white ; bill and legs crimson. 



ALTHOUGH this Gull belongs to the hooded division 

 of the genus, it differs from all we have hitherto 

 met with, in the peculiar lightness of the hood by 

 which the head and chin is enveloped ; the tint, in 



