LARINJE. RHODOSTETHIA. 253 



think, been generically distinguished, and most deservedly 

 named after Captain James Ross, who has contributed so 

 much to our knowledge of the natural productions of those 

 desolate regions of the north-west, among which it has been 

 his fate to sojourn. But as the generic name Rossia, which 

 the Prince of Canino has proposed for it, has been given 

 by Mr Owen to a Cephalopodous Molluscum, I prefer that 

 of Rhodostethia. Body moderate ; neck rather short ; 

 head ovate. Bill short, rather slender ; upper mandible 

 with the dorsal line straight for half its length, arcuato-de- 

 curvate toward the end ; lower mandible with the intercrural 

 space narrow, the knob slight, the dorsal line concave, the 

 tip narrow. Legs short ; tibia bare for a very short space ; 

 tarsus rather stout, anteriorly scutellate, rough behind ; first 

 toe short, with a large curved claw ; anterior toes moderate, 

 with the webs entire ; claws rather large, arched, compress- 

 ed, acute. Plumage soft and full ; wings long, rather nar- 

 row, pointed ; tail cuneate, of twelve feathers, of which the 

 central are much longer than the lateral. Only one species 

 is known. 



310. RHODOSTETHIA Rossi. Ross's ROSY-GULL. 



Wings longer than the tail ; middle tail-feathers exceed- 

 ing the lateral by about an inch. In summer, the bill black, 

 margins of eyelids reddish- orange ; feet vermilion ; fore-part 

 of back, and both surfaces of wings, pale bluish-grey ; outer 

 web of first quill blackish-brown ; a narrow ring on the neck, 

 and some feathers near the eyes, brownish-black ; the rest 

 of the plumage white, but all the lower parts richly tinged 

 with rose-colour. 



Adult, 13, 30, 101, !, IT**, H, TV 



This species was first alluded to by myself under the tem- 

 porary name of Larus roseus ; then described and figured by 

 Sir William Jardine under the same name. Dr Richardson 

 named it Larus Rossii, Cuneate-tailed Gull, which was its 

 first true name, he having been commissioned to describe it. 

 I have seen some angry remarks about et subalterns" in mu- 

 seums naming objects without being authorized ; but I have 

 no opportunity at present of referring to them, and would only 

 remark that these same subalterns have sometimes had the 

 task of affording essential aid to authors, without so much as 



