PACIFIC GULL. 10& 



Larus georgii King, Survey Intertrop. Coasts Austr., Vol. II., p. 423, " 1827 " = April 26th, 



1826 : King George Sound, West Australia. 



Gabianus pacificus kingi, Mathews, Austral Av. Rec., Vol. III., pt. 3, p. 56, April 7th, 1916 : 



Queensland. 



DISTRIBUTION. Australia generally (not in extreme north) and Tasmania. 



Adult male. Back and wings dark brown ; small coverts round the bend of the 

 wing pure white ; lesser, median, and greater wing-coverts blackish like the bastard - 

 wing, primary -coverts and quills, some of the latter tipped with white, more broadly 

 on the innermost primaries which are also margined with white on the inner webs 

 towards the tip ; sides of rump, upper tail-coverts, and tail white, the latter with a 

 broad subterminal band of black on all the feathers except the outer pair, each of 

 which have a very slight mottling of black and a black shaft-streak on the subterminal 

 portion of the feather ; head and neck all round white like the under-surface, which 

 includes the axillaries, under wing-coverts, and under tail-coverts ; bill green, tip 

 red, cutting edges yellowish-green ; iris silvery -white ; eyelid yellow ; feet yellow. 

 Total length 645 mm. ; culmen 62, wing 475, tail 192, tarsus 78. 



Adult female. Similar to the adult male but the subterminal black band on the 

 tail much more irregular in shape, the outer feathers pure white with the exception 

 of the subterminal black shaft-streak, the second pair has a slight mark on the 

 outer web with a black shaft-streak and a large blotch on the inner web, while on the 

 corresponding feather there is only a black shaft-streak and a small black spot 

 on the inner web ; iris brown. Total length 645 mm. ; culmen 60, wing 443, 

 tail 178, tarsus 64. 



Immature. Upper-surface brown, most of the feathers margined with white 

 or ferruginous, and showing dark shaft-streaks on the scapulars and upper tail- 

 coverts ; bastard-wing, primary -co verts and quills dark brown fringed and tipped 

 with white, the shafts of the latter white on their basal portion ; secondaries similar 

 but paler at the base of the inner web ; tail-feathers dark brown fringed with whitish 

 at the tips, outer feather on one side margined with white, and white on the inner 

 web at the base ; head and neck all round brown with white bases to the feathers ; 

 throat white with brown pear-shaped spots to the feathers ; remainder of under- 

 surface brown with white bases to the feathers ; under wing-coverts dark brown ; 

 axillaries uniform pale brown ; iris dusky slate-grey, eyelid brick-red ; legs dull 

 ochre tinged with olivaceous ; toes and tarsi olivaceous -slate, claws black. 



Nestling. Bufiy-white, with longitudinal spots of brown on the upper -surface, 

 the brown pattern somewhat darker on the head, the under-surface paler and uniform 

 save on throat, which is obscurely spotted ; bill bluish-horn colour, tip light horn 

 colour ; feet and iris black. 



Nest. Very neat, the grass used being wound round and round, making a 

 beautiful symmetrical hollow three to four inches deep. Placed under the lee of a 

 bunch of tussock grass, or some sheltering bush. 



Eggs. Clutch, one to three ; ground-colour light olive-brown blotched all over 

 with reddish-brown and lavender ; axis 73-76 mm., diameter 50-53. 



Breeding-season. October to January. 



Distribution and forms. Confined to Australia and Tasmania. Three subspecies 

 may be easily recognised : G. p. pacificus (Latham) from New South Wales, Victoria, 

 Tasmania and (?) South Australia ; G. p. kingi Mathews from Queensland similar 

 in coloration, but smaller ; and G. p. georgii (King) from South-west Australia, 

 with the band across the tail much more irregular and narrower, the broadest part 

 only 20 mm. deep. 



FAMILY STERCORARHDJS. 



Skuas are recognisable at sight by their cere-bearing gull-like bill, and the 

 long sharply hooked claws. Otherwise they vary in size and form. from small 



