LARUS. 715 



Length. 23 to 2575 inches; expanse 58 to 60; wing 1675 to 18; tarsus 

 2-510278; bill at front 1*9 to 2*35; mid-toe and claw 2*25 to 2'6; bill 

 yellow, red near the tip of the lower mandible in summer. In winter it is 



lull yellow, whitish at the tip, with a dark spot on both mandibles near the 

 tip, and an orange spot at the tip of the lower one. (Hume, Str. F. p. i. 270, 



',. argentatus.) 



Hab. Sind, Beloochistan (Mekran Coast), Persian Gulf, large rivers of the 

 'unjab, N.-W. Provinces, the Delhi District and Rajputana. 



Numerous during winter in the Kurrachee harbour. It has not yet been 

 inally settled whether this species is L. argentatus or cacchinnans. Mr. 

 [oward Saunders (P. Z. S. 1878) identifies it with cacchinnans ; the charac- 

 jrs of both species are so similar, that it becomes a vexed question. Mr. 

 Hume maintains it is open to argument. All my specimens agree with Mr. 

 Hume's description ; but the length of the mid-toe and claw in 5 out of 6 

 specimens is 2*25, and of those in the striated plumage the mantle is rather 

 darker. 



1418. LaruS affiniS, Reinhardt., Vidensk. Meddel. 1853, P- 7^; et 

 Ibis, i86i,p. 17; Seebohm and Brown, Ibis, 1876, p. 452. Larus fuscus. 

 Jerd., B. Ind. p. 830, No. 978 ; Gould, B. Eur. pi. 431. Larus occidentalis, 

 Hume, Str. F. 1873, P 2 73 ( nec Aud ) '> Murray, Hdbk., ZooL, fyc., Sind, 

 p. 246; id., Vert. ZooL Smd,p. 318. The LESSER HERRING GULL. 



Head, crown, neck and nape white in summer, in winter streaked with 

 dusky brown, and with a dusky eye spot ; chin, throat and breast white ; back 

 dark slaty grey, also the greater and lesser wing coverts ; primaries dark 

 slaty grey, the first six tipped with white, the first with a broad bar and the 

 extreme tip white, the rest only tipped white ; secondaries like the back, and 

 tipped with white ; some of the tertials also tipped with white ; under wing 

 coverts white ; upper and under tail coverts and tail white. 



Length. Male, 24/2 inches ; wing 17^2 ; tarsus 2'6; mid toe and claw 2*3 ; 

 bill at front 2-25. 



Length. Female, 22*3 inches; wing i6'8 ; tarsus 2 6 ; mid-toe and claw 

 2*2 ; bill at front 2'i ; bill yellow, the angle on the lower mandible red ; irides 

 pale yellow ; eyelids yellowish red. 



Hab. Sind, Beloochistan (Mekran Coast), the Coromandel Coast, Kutch, 

 Guzerat, Concan and Deccan. 



In immense numbers on the Sind and Mekran Coasts. In the Kurrachee 

 harbour in large flocks, feeding among fishermen when landing their nets 

 and about their huts. 



1419. LarilS gelastes, Licht. m Thienem, Fort />. flanz. Vog. Eur. 

 pt. v. p. 22 ; Degl. Orn. Eur. ii. p. 318; Bree, B. Eur. 2nd Ed. v. p. 72; 



