ICELAND GULL. /9 



. Three in number. There is nothing very distinctive 

 about the colour or markings of the eggs, which look like 

 larger editions of those of the Lesser Black-backed Gull. 

 Some examples are very sparsely marked, and have the spots 

 few and far 'between, or else have a large blotch of black near 

 the large end of the egg. Axis, 2-95-3-05 inches; diam., 

 2-0-2-15. To the red variety of the Herring-Gull's egg, figured 

 by Seebohm as the egg of the Glaucous Gull, I have already 

 alluded (supra, p. 73). 



XI. THE ICELAND GULL. LARUS LEUCOPTERUS. 



Larus hucopterus, Faber, Prodr. Isl. Orn. p. 91 (1822); Macgill. 

 Brit. B. v. p. 566 (1852) ; Dresser, B. Eur. viii. p. 439, 

 pi. 606 (1876); B. O. U. List Brit. B. p. 188 (1883); 

 Saunders, ed. YarrelPs Brit. B. iii, p. 642 (1884); See- 

 bohm, Hist. Brit. B. iii. p. 333 (1885); Saunders, Man. 

 Brit. B. p. 665 (1889) ; Lilford, Col. Fig. Brit. B. part xxvi. 

 (1893); Saunders, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxv. p. 295 (1896). 



Adult Male. Similar to L. hyperboreus, but smaller, with pro- 

 portionately longer wings ; back delicate pearly-grey, with white 

 ends to the secondaries and scapulars ; primaries pearly-grey, 

 white at the ends and along the inner webs ; rump, upper tail- 

 coverts, and tail white ; head and neck all round, as well as the 

 entire under parts, pure white. Total length, 23-5 inches ; 

 culmen, 1*9 ; wing, 16*5 ; tail, 6'6 ; tarsus, 2-4. 



Adult Female.- -Similar to the male, but smaller. 



Young-. Like that of L. hyperboreus, and having the under 

 surface light ashy-brown, with very pale brown mottlings on 

 the upper surface. The size is, however, smaller. 



Characters. Like L. hyperboreus, the present species has white 

 quills, but is distinguished from the latter bird by its smaller 

 size. Mr. Saunders observes (Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxv. p. 297) : 

 " On the wing L. leucoptcnts has a much more buoyant flight 

 than Z. glaums^ and the length of wing, in proportion to its 

 comparatively small bulk, is very noticeable ; but prepared and 

 over-stuffed skins sometimes offer difficulties. Still, in spite of 

 its longer wing in proportion to its bulk, the largest male 

 L, leucopterus does not attain to the length of wing found in 

 the smallest Z. glaucus" 



