418 BIRDS OF BRITISH BURMAH. 



the bill yellowish orange, the remainder dark brown ; iris greyish brown ; 

 legs and toes orange, the webs duller ; claws black. 



Length 18*5 inches, tail 5, wing 13'3, tarsus 2, bill from gape 2'4, middle 

 toe and claw 1*9. The tail is square. 



The Brown-headed Gull is a common winter visitor to all parts of the 

 coast of British Burmah. It ascends the larger rivers to a considerable 

 distance, being found on the Sittang river as high as Tonghoo. 



This Gull is found in Burmah from the end of October to the middle of 

 April, at which latter period birds in full summer plumage are not un- 

 common. 



It occurs in winter over the whole of India, as far west as Scinde and 

 south to Ceylon, and it is also met with in China and Cochin China. It 

 appears to breed on the lakes north of the Himalayas, for Dr. Henderson 

 observed it on the Pangong Lake in July. 



This Gull is found as frequently on rivers and inland waters as on the 

 coast. It is a very abundant species on all the tidal streams of Southern 

 Pegu, flying about both singly and in large flocks. During the day, like 

 most other Gulls, it is fond of sitting on the water. 



Mr. Howard Saunders, when looking over my large series of this Gull, 

 observed that all the birds which were sexed as males had some black on 

 both sides the web of the seventh primary forming a bar ; those sexed as 

 females, on the other hand, had the black only on the inner web. This 

 of course may not prove a constant point of distinction between the sexes; 

 but it would be interesting to have it confirmed or disproved, and observers 

 who have the opportunity of shooting these birds should direct their atten- 

 tion to the matter. 



757. LARUS RIDIBUNDUS. 



THE LAUGHING GULL. 



Larus ridibundus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 225 ; Hume, S. F. i. p. 278 ; Dresser, 

 Birds JEur. viii. p. 357, pi. ; Saunders, P. Z. S. 1878, p. 200, f. 12 ; Hume, S. F, 

 viii. p. 115. Xema ridibunda, Jerd. B. Ind. ii. p. 832; Bl. B. Burm. p. 1(52. 

 Chroicocephalus ridibundus, David et Oust, Ois. Chine, p. 520. 



Description. Male and female in summer. The whole head and upper 

 part of the neck chocolate-brown ; remainder of the neck, the whole lower 

 plumage, upper tail-coverts and tail pure white ; primary- coverts white ; 

 back, rump, upper wing-coverts, scapulars, secondaries and tertiaries ashy; 

 first primary white, edged with black on the inner web, tipped with black 



