GENUS 94. LARUS. GULL. 

 SPECIES. L. ATRICILLA. 



LAUGHING GULL. 

 [Plate LXXIV. Fig. 4.] 



Larus atricitla, LINN. Syst. ed. 10, torn, i, p. 136, 5. GMEL. Syst. 

 i, p. 600, 8. Ind. Orn. p. 813, 4. Laughing Gull, CATESBY, i, 

 PL 89.LATH. Gen. Syn. in, p. 383, 12. .flrcf. 2M. JVo. 

 454. La Mouette rieuse, BRISS. vi, ^?. 192, 13, pi. 18, Jig. 1. 

 Mouette d capuchon plombj, TEMM, Man. d'Orn* p. 779. 

 PE ALE'S Museum, Vo. 3381. 



LENGTH seventeen inches, extent three feet six inches; bill, 

 thighs, legs, feet, sides of the mouth and eyelids, dark blood 

 red; inside of the mouth vermilion; bill nearly two inches and 

 a half long; the nostril is placed rather low; the eyes are black; 

 above and below each eye there is a spot of white; the head and 

 part of the neck are black, remainder of the neck, breast, whole 

 lower parts, tail-coverts and tail, pure white; the scapulars, 

 wing-coverts, and whole upper parts, are of a fine blue ash 

 colour; the first five primaries are black towards their extremi- 

 ties; the secondaries are tipt largely with white, and almost all 

 the primaries slightly; the bend of the wing is white, and nearly 

 three inches long; the tail is almost even, it consists of twelve 

 feathers, and its coverts reach within an inch and a half of its 

 tip; the wings extend two inches beyond the tail; a delicate 

 blush is perceivable on the breast and belly. Length of tarsus 

 two inches. 



The head of the female is of a dark dusky slate colour, in 

 other respects she resembles the male. 



In some individuals, the crown is of a dusky gray; the upper 

 part and sides of the neck of a lead colour; the bill and legs of 



