824 RISSA LARUS 



Culmen T25, wing 12'5, tail 5 '6, tarsus 1'25, middle toe with claw 1'95 

 inch ; hind toe very small, sometimes with and sometimes without a 

 claw. The young bird differs from that of R. tridactyla in lacking the 

 black band on the wing and on the tail. 



Hob. The Bering Sea from the Kamchatkan coasts to the 

 Aleutian and Prybiloff Islands. 



In habits it resembles the Kittiwake, and like it breeds on the 

 ledges of almost inaccessible cliffs by the sea, its eggs being 

 also similar in appearance, and measuring about 2*36 by 1/64. 



LARUS, Linn., 1766. 



1133. BLACK-HEADED GULL. 

 LARUS RIDIBUNDUS. 



Larus ridibundus. Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 225 (1766) ; Naum. x. p. 264,. 

 Taf. 260 ; Hewitson, ii. p. 491, pi. cxxxvi. figs. 2, 3 ; (Gould), B. of 

 E. v. pi. 425 ; (id.), B. of Gt. Brit. v. pi. 64 ; Dresser, viii. p. 357, 

 pis. 596, 597, fig. 1 ; David and Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 520 ; Seebohm. 

 B. Jap. Emp. p. 295 ; Saunder?, Cat. B. Br. Mus. xxv. 207 ; id. 

 Manual, p. 665 ; Blanf. F. Brit. Ind. Birds, iv. p. 300 ; (Tacz.), F. 

 0. Sib. 0. p. 1040 ; Lilford, vi. p. 39, pi. 19 ; L. capisfratus, Temm. 

 Man. d'Orn. ii. p. 785 (1820). 



Gotland rieur, French ; Gaivota, Chapalhtta, Portug. ; Gavina,. 

 Gaviota, Span. ; Galliano comune, Ital. ; Lachmewe, Mohrenkopf, 

 German ; Kokmeeuw, Dutch ; Hcettemaage, Dan. and Norweg. ; 

 Skrattmdse, Swed. ; Naumdokki, Finn. ; TschaiJca, Russ. ; Yuri- 

 kamome, Jap. 



< ad. (S. Russia). Hood brownish black or coffee-brown ; mantle pale 

 French-grey ; a narrow space round the eye, tail-coverts, tail, and entire 

 under parts white, the last faintly tinged rose-colour ; primaries white, 

 with the tips and margins of the inner webs black ; secondaries French- 

 grey, the outer ones tipped with blackish ; bill, edges of eyelids, legs, and 

 feet lake-red ; iris deep brown. Culmen 1'8, wing 12'0, tail, 5*0, tarsus 1*8. 

 In winter the hood is absent, there being a little grey before the eye and 

 on the occiput, and a blackish grey patch behind the eye. 



Hal. Europe, north to the Faeroes, the Baltic Islands and 

 Archangel, south to the Mediterranean ; wintering in Africa, 

 south to Nubia ; Asia east to Japan, north to Kamchatka ; 

 wintering in India, China, and the Philippines. 



In habits it differs from many of its allies in selecting inland 

 marshes for the purpose of nidification. Its flight is easy and 



