548 LARIDJS. 



examples, M. Temminck, who was in London at that time, 

 to attend the sale of so important a collection, probably 

 became aware that this species was found in Orkney, 

 and included that locality among others for this species, in 

 the second edition of his Manual, published in 1820. In 

 1831 Mr. William Lord presented to the Zoological 

 Society about thirty skins of birds collected during the 

 previous summer in Shetland ; among them was one speci- 

 men of the Masked Gull, or Brown-headed Gull, as it was 

 also called, the Larus capistratus of Temminck, of which I 

 published a description with measurements in the Society's 

 proceedings for that year, page 151. In 1833, in a notice 

 of birds found near Carlisle, published by T. C. Heysham, 

 Esq., is the following record : " The Lesser Brown-headed 

 Gull, Larus capistratus. An immature female of this rare 

 Gull was accidentally procured near Sandsfield on the 6th 

 of June. It was found associating with several of the 

 Black-headed species, Larus ridibundus, but remained after 

 all its congeners had taken wing, was shot at, and for- 

 tunately killed. From an inspection of this bird, we are 

 satisfied that this species may be very easily overlooked 

 and that many ornithologists would consider it merely 

 a small specimen of the Black-headed Gull. We have 

 deemed it advisable, therefore, to give its weight and 

 dimensions. Weight eight ounces and a quarter ; length 

 fourteen inches and a half ; extent of the wings thirty-six 

 inches; bill to the front one inch and one tenth; bill to the 

 gape, or rictus, one inch and eight-tenths ; tarsi one inch 

 and six-tenths ; middle toe and claw one inch and five- 

 tenths. 1 ' T. C. Eyton, Esq. in his catalogue of the birds 

 of Shropshire and North Wales, mentions that one spe- 

 cimen had been killed near Bangor, and was in his own 

 collection. 



