DIRECTORY TO BIRDS OF EASTERN NORTH AMERICA. 45 



but the black ring is not very prominent ; iris, white. Breeds 

 in northern N. A. ; migrates southward over the whole coun- 

 try in Aug. and Sep. ; winters from theCarolinas to Cuba and 

 Mexico ; common, excepting in N. E. where it is rather un- 

 common. 



9. MEW GULL, L. CANUS. Similar in size and general 

 coloration to 8, but the black band on the bill is absent and 

 the gray wedge 011 the inner web of the third primary is not 

 tipped with white. Europe and Asia; accidental in Lab- 

 rador. 



d. Hooded G-ulls. Chroicocephalus. 



Size, medium or small ; head in summer adults, sooty- 

 black, whitish or grayish in winter; white beneath, tinged 

 with rosy in summer ; white pattern on primaries, variable, 

 but always different from c ; but form, generally similar ; 

 flight, somewhat variable ; the wing-beats are rather more 

 rapid than in c; social. 



1 LAUGHING GULL, C. ATRICILLA. 16.00; dark blu- 

 ish-gray, darker than any Fig. 53. 

 species given in C, except- 

 ing 1 ; primaries, often nar- 

 rowly tipped with white on 

 the three outer ; secondari- 

 es, more broadly tipped 

 with white; bill, crimson- 

 lake; iris, and feet, brown, 

 fig. 53. In winter, head 

 white, tinged on back of F 9 B, d, 1. 1-6. 

 crown, around eyes, and in a band back of them, with bluish- 

 gray like back, fig. 54. Young, differ in having the seconda- 

 ries gray, a grayish patch on back of neck, head more decid- 

 edly grayish, a well defined band back of eye which widens 

 out and extends along side, pearly-gray; this color crosses 

 the breast in a more or less well defined band of varying 

 width leaving throat clearly white; bill, brown; no white 

 tips to primaries ; tail, broadly tipped with black. Downy 



