BIRDS OF KANSAS. 19 



relative depth of the bill; nostrils syb-basal, perforate; legs and feet of propor- 

 tionate sise. Tail extremely variable in form and length. 



"Although including among its very numerous members great extremes of 

 size and form, the family Laridce as here restricted is not divisible into more 

 than two subfamilies, and these are so nearly united through certain forms as 

 to be really more artificial than natural." 



SUBFAMILY LAKIN^E. GULLS. 



"Depth of bill through the angle decidedly greater than through the middle 

 of the nostrils; terminal portion of the culmen decidedly curved; mandibular 

 angle frequently prominent, always distinct. Tail even, except in Xema (forked ) 

 and Rhodostethia (wedge shaped). Size extremely variable, but usually medium 

 or large; sometimes very large." 



GEXUS LAB.US LINN.EUS. 



"Size exceedingly variable, ranging from that of the smaller Albatrosses 

 down to that of the medium-sized Terns; tail even; tarsus always longer than 

 the middle toe with its claw (except in L. minutus), and smoothish behind; col- 

 ors extremely variable, but young always widely different from the adult." 



Larus argentatus smithsonianus COTJES. 



AMERICAN HERRING GULL. 

 PLATE II. 



Migratory; rare. I have met with the birds in March and 

 JS" overnber, and, as they occasionally winter as far north as Lake 

 Michigan, it would not be strange if met with in winter along 

 our larger rivers, when not frozen; but in any event they can 

 only be treated as migrants and. visitants, as they are only at 

 home about large bodies of water. 



B. 661. R. 666a. C. 773. G. 307, 5. TJ. 51a. 



HABITAT. North America in general; breeding from Maine 

 northward, and westward throughout the interior, on the large 

 inland waters, and occasionally on the Pacific coast; south, in 

 winter, to Cuba and Lower California. 



SP. CHAR. "Adult, in summer: Mantle pale pearl blue (a shade darker than 

 in L. glaucescens), the secondaries and tertials passing terminally into white. 

 Outer primary black, more slaty basally, the tip white, and a large white spot 

 across the inner and sometimes the outer web; next quill black, tipped with 

 white, and usually without any white except the apical spot; third, fourth and 

 fifth quills similar, but the basal half, or more, light pearl gray ( this extending 

 farther on the inner web), the line of demarcation sharply defined; sixth quill 

 light pearl gray, broadly tipped with white, this preceded by a broad subtermi- 

 nal space of black, widest on the outer web; seventh quill similar, but the black 

 much more restricted, and confined to the outer web; remaining primaries pale 



