238 LARIN.E. 



Body rather stout, ovate ; neck of moderate length ; 

 head ovate, of moderate size. Bill generally shorter than 

 the head, straight, compressed, rather acute, somewhat 

 decimate at the end ; upper mandible with the ridge con- 

 vex, the nasal groove rather long, the edges sharp, direct, 

 overlapping, the tip declinate ; lower mandible with the 

 angle long and very narrow, an angular projection at the 

 commencement of the dorsal line, which is ascending and 

 concave. Mouth of moderate width, opening to beneath 

 the eyes ; palate flat, with two prominent ridges, and 

 four series of intervening reversed papillse, on the ante- 

 rior part five ridges ; tongue emarginate and papillate at 

 the base, fleshy, rather narrow, tapering to a narrowly 

 rounded point, and horny beneath; oesophagus very wide; 

 proventriculus dilated ; stomach rather small, elliptical, 

 moderately muscular, with large radiated tendons, and 

 extremely dense, thick, longitudinally ridged epithelium; 

 intestine rather long, narrow; coecavery small, cylindrical. 

 Eyes rather small. Nostrils oblong or linear, reversed. 

 Aperture of ear moderate. Legs short, or moderate ; ti- 

 bia bare below ; tarsus rather short, somewhat compressed, 

 with numerous much curved scutella ; hind toe very small 

 and elevated ; fore toes of moderate length, slender, con- 

 nected by full membranes, of which the anterior edge is 

 a little concave, the lateral toes margined externally by a 

 thick scaly membrane; claws small, slightly arcuate, some- 

 what compressed, obtuse. Plumage very full, close, elas- 

 tic, soft, and blended, on the back and wings rather com- 

 pact ; the feathers generally oblong and rounded, on the 

 fore part of the head short ; wings very long, rather 

 broad, pointed ; tail rather short, even, or slightly round- 

 ed, of twelve broad feathers. 



The Larinse inhabit the shores of the ocean, and are 

 represented by species in every latitude. They vary in 

 size from that of a goose to that of a pigeon. The larger 

 species are omnivorous, the smaller feed on fishes, crus- 



