LARUS 825- 



graceful, and it swims with ease, sitting very lightly on the 

 water. Its note resembles the syllables kree, kree, or keck, kech,. 

 and when uttered by many, resembles harsh laughter. Its food 

 consists of small fish, insects, larvae, and worms. It breeds on 

 inland marshes, and islands in lakes, usually in large societies, 

 constructing its nest of reeds and dried grass, and in May, or 

 sometimes late in April, deposits 3 eggs, which in ground-colour 

 vary from pale bluish white to dark olivaceous brown, more or 

 less spotted and blotched with deep umber and blackish brown, 

 and measure about 2'2 by 1*47. 



1134. BROWN-HEADED GULL. 

 LARUS BRUNNEICEPHALUS. 



Larus brunneicephalus, Jardon, Maclr. Journ. xii. p. 25 (1840) ; (David 

 and Oust.), Ois. Chine, p. 521 ; Saunders, Cat. B. Br. Mus. xxv. 

 p. 215 ; Blanf. F. Brit. Ind. Birds, iv. p. 301. 



DTiomra, Hindu. 



( ad. (N.W. India). Differs from L. rldibundus in being larger, the 

 hood browner, especially paler on the forehead, and the pattern of the 

 quills (which are blacker) different ; the two outer quills black with elong- 

 ated white subterminal spots, and a little white at the base, the 3rd with 

 more white at base, with the white increasing on the inner ones ; bill red, 

 brownish at the tip ; legs and feet red ; iris white or pale yellow ; sides 

 red. Cnlmen 1'9, wing 13*5, tail 5 '2, tarsus 2'0 inch. In winter and 

 immature dress it differs from L. ridibundus in the different pattern of the 

 quills. 



Hob. Central Asia from Turkestan to Tibet and Mongolia ; 

 wintering on the coasts and marshes of Burma, India, and Ceylon, 

 and as for west as Aden. 



In general habits this Gull resembles L. ridilundus. It breeds 

 on the high tablelands of Tibet in Central Asia, but its nest 

 and eggs appear to be undescribed. 



1135. ADRIATIC GULL. 

 LARUS MELANOCEPHALUS. 



Larus melanocephalm, Natterer, Isis, 1818, p. 816 ; Naum. x. p. 254, 

 Taf. 259 ; (Gould), B. of E. v. pi. 427 ; Dresser, viii. p. 365, pi. 597, 

 fig. 2 ; Saunders, Cat. B. Br. Mus. xxv. p. 180 ; id. Manual, p. 667 ; 

 Lilford, vi. p. 43, pi. 20. 



Gotland me'lanoce'pJiah ', French ; Galliano corallino, Ital. 



