LAUGHING GULL. 161 



forked, and consists of twelve feathers, the two exterior 

 ones four inches longer than those of the middle, the 

 whole of a deep black, except the two outer feathers, 

 which are white, but towards the extremities a little 

 blackish on the inner vanes; leg's and webbed feet, 

 black ; hind toe, short. 



The secondary wing feathers are eight inches shorter 

 than the longest primary. 



This bird frequently settles on the rigging of ships 

 at sea, and, in common with another species, <S. stolida y 

 is called by sailors the noddy. 



GENUS LXIII. LARUS, LINNJEUS. 



252. LARUS ATRICILLA, LINNJEUS. LARUS RIDIBUNDUS, WILSON. 



LAUGHING GULL. * 

 WILSON, PLATE LXXIV. FIG. IV EDINBURGH COLLEGE MUSEUM. 



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 extremities^ 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. 



* Named in tlie plate, Black-headed Gull. 

 VOL. III. L 6 



