LABIN2B. 425 



THE GKEAT BLACK-HEADED GULL. 



Length, 28'5 to 29 ; wing, 19 to 20 ; tail, 7'5 ; bill, 2'6. 



Bill red, yellow at tip, with a black bar across both mandibles ; 

 the extreme tip orange-yellow. 



In summer plumage, the whole head and upper neck black ; 

 the feathered orbits white ; the back and wings blue-grey ; the 

 upper tail-coverts and the tail pure white, with a black band ; 

 primaries with a black band increasing in width to the outer- 

 most one, which has the whole of the outer web and half of the 

 inner web black ; the rest of the first five primaries white ; the 

 others grey, white tipped ; rest of the plumage pure white. 



In winter the head and neck are white, with a few dusky 

 markings down the nape and on the back of the neck ; and the 

 central tail-feathers are sometimes grey. 



The young bird has the head white with brown streaks, the 

 back and wings grey with brown marks, the tail mottled with 

 brown at its base. 



Occurs more or less sparingly all along our coast. 



Larus brunneicephalus, Jerd. 



980. Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 832 ; Butler, Guzerat ; 

 Stray Feathers, Vol. IV, p. 31 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. 

 IX, p. 439 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 318. 



THE BROWN-HEADED GULL. 



Length, 16 to 17 ; expanse, 40; wing, 13; tail, 5'5 ; bill at 

 front, 1*5. 



Bill red, tip^ darker ; irides white ; legs and feet fine red. 



In summer, the whole head and neck sooty-brown, darker 

 where it terminates ; orbital feathers white posteriorly ; back 

 and wings light grey ; nape, hind-neck, upper tail-coverts, and 

 tail, white ; first primary black, inner web white at base, and 

 with a white subterminal band ; the next has both webs white 

 at the base, and a smaller terminal spot ; the third is grey with 

 still less black, and no white, and so on, lessening to the seventh ; 

 the other quills are all grey. 



In winter the head is white, generally somewhat soiled, often 

 'with a few faint dusky marks, and there is always a dark spot 

 behind the ear-coverts. 



The young bird is colored like the adult in winter plumage, 

 but the tail has a dark band, and the irides are yellow-brown. 



The Brown-headed Gull occurs all along the coast and in suita- 

 ble places (large lakes) inland throughout the region. 



Larus ridibundus, Lin. 



981. Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 832 ; Butler, Deccan ; 



Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 439 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology 



of Sind, p. 319. 



THE LAUGHING GULL. 

 Length, 15 to 17 ; wing, 13 ; tail, 5 ; tarsus, 175 ; bill at front, 175. 



