300 



farther east than Burma, and in Tenasserim has only been observed 

 at Amhersfc, but it is not rare in Northern India and in Pegu in 

 well-watered tracts, and it is occasionally found, though it is by no 

 means common, throughout the Peninsula and in Ceylon. A 

 remarkably small female (wing 16-5) from Gopalpur near Ganjam, 

 with much black on the primaries, was separated by Hume as 

 L. innominatus, but is not regarded as distinct by Saunders, nor 

 does the difference appear to me to be of specific importance. 



Habits, $*c. The Great Black-headed Gull is found inland 

 about large rivers and large pieces of water, as well as on the 

 coast. It is a bird of graceful and powerful flight. 



1490. Larus ridibundus. The Laughing Gall. 

 Larus ridibundus, Linn. St/st. Nat. i, p. 225 (1766) ; Blyth, Cat. 



p. 94 ; Butler, ibid. p. 439 ; Scully, Ibis, 1881, p. 594; Oates, B. B. 

 ii, p. 418; Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 425; Hume, S. F. xi, p. 349; 

 St. John, Ibis, 1889, p. 180; Sharpe, Yark. Miss., Aves, p. 134; 

 Saunders, Cat. B. M. xxv, p. 207. 



Xeraa ridibunda, Jerdon, B. 1. iii, p. 832 ; Hume fy Henders. Lah. to 

 Yark. p. 301. 



Coloration. In summer the whole head and upper neck are deep 

 brown, varying from sepia to chocolate-brown; neck all round, 

 lower parts, rump, and tail white ; mantle pearl-grey ; the first 

 live primaries and their coverts white except that the tip, greater 

 part of outer web and inner border of the 1st primary are black ; 

 the 2nd is similar except that there is less black on the outer 

 border ; the 3rd has the tip, broad inner border, and a fringe 

 running some distance up the outer border black ; the black at the 

 end increases on the 4th and 5th quills, but grey begins to replace 

 the white; in the inner primaries the black disappears and the 

 feathers become grey ; the secondaries are pale grey like the mantle. 

 In winter the head is white, generally slightly mixed with 

 brown on the nape, and with brown patches in front of each eye 

 and behind the ear-coverts. The brown hood is assumed about 

 February. 



Young birds are at first brown above, but soon become white on 

 the head and grey on the mantle, some of the wing-coverts and 

 the tertiaries remaining brown longest ; the end of the tail is 

 black, the black bar diminishing on the outer rectrices ; the 

 primaries have the borders and the ends black and a white band 

 running down the middle. 



Bill and legs deep red, irides dark brown (Jerdon) ; edge of 

 orbit deep carmine (Dresser). In young birds the bill is dull 

 yellow, legs and feet dull reddish yellow. 



Length 16; tail 4'75; wing 12; tarsus T75 ; bill from 

 gape 1'8. 



Distribution. This Gull breeds in temperate Europe and Asia 



