LAUID.K — THE (JULLS AND TERNS — LAUUS. 



217 



streaked with dusky grayish. "The hill is wine-yelhiw, tlie lower inniidihle with iiii orpiniciit 



|i;il(li near the cud ; tlie ed;,'es of the eyelids yellow; the feet pale ilesli-eolored, tlie claws j,'rnyisli 



liiiiwn; the iris pale yellow " (Macgilmviiay). Yohiuj, fivst iilmnmy : Ciiayish white, the head 



and neck hroadly streaked, tlie upper parts coarsely spotted with lirownish asii-;^ray ; lower jmrts 



iicailv uniform li},dit browiiisli asli. tlie chin and throat wliite ; bill wholly hlackisli ; feet brown- 



i>ii. "Tiie bill is very pale Hesli-colored 



as far as the anterior extremity of the nos- 



tiils, beyond which both mandibles are 



liidwiiish black. The feet are pale flesh- 



(dliiied, the cliws brownish black" (Mac- 



i;ii.r.ivuAY).l 



Wing, 15.40-l(i.r)0 (15.76) inches; 

 (iihiien, l.(i5-l.fX) (1.75) ; depth of bill 

 tliKPU^,')! anj,de, .fiO-.70 ( (Ui) ; tarsus, 2.05- 

 :!.:iu (2.14) ; middle toe, 1.7()-1.5>5 (1.81). 

 [I'imr adults.] 



This bird is so close an ally of L, glaums 

 that we must confess our inability to give 

 charai'ters whereby it may invariably be 

 (listinj,'uished. There appears to be a nearly 

 eoiiiiilet(! interj:;radution in size, or at least 

 some of the larger males of kucophrus are 

 CMpial to the smaller females of gUiucus. A 

 scries collected at Point Barrow, Alaska, by 



Messrs. Murdoch and Smith, seems to include a form which is intermediate between the two ; and 

 we are (juite in doubt as to which form some specimens should be referred. Mr. Kumlieii (" Bull. 

 U. S. Nat. Mus.," No. 15, p. 98), however, gives the following as characters which appeared to be 

 ciiii-tant ill the living and freshly killed birds which came under his notice : — 



" Jly opportunities for studying Icucojjtcrus were not very e.xtensive, and luy conclusions may 

 lie too hasty ; but still it is worth while for others, that may get better opijortunities, to observe 

 if the following points of diiference are constant : — 



" First. Lmcopterus, 24 inches or less ; glaucus, 27 to 32 inches. 



" Second. Tarsus and toes of leucopterus in fully adult birds often orange-red, and not flesh- 

 coldi'cd, as in glaucus, 



'■ Third. Ring around the eye in leucopterus flesh-colored ; in glaucus reddish purple. 



'■ Fourth. Young of glaucus in first plumage as light as the bird of the second year ; the young 

 of haoiptcrus nearly as dark as the young of glaucesccns. The bill is also weaker and thinner than 

 ill ijlaacus." 



The particulars of the history of this species and of the extent of its distribution 

 are not so well known as they probably would be if its resemblance to Lants fjlawus 

 were not so close ; the two species differing chiefly in that the latter is of larger size 

 than the former. It is difficult, however, if not impossible, to distinguish the two 

 when seen at some distance ; and it is hence not always safe to apjily to either spe- 

 cies statements as to its actual presence, except only Avhere the identification has 

 been rendered positive by obtaining a specimen of the bird seen. 



Tlie Lesser White-winged Gull is an Arctic species, and its distribution is very 

 nearly identical with that of the Burgomaster. It is found in the northern portions 

 of A.sia, Europe, and North America. Middendorff mentions it as one of tlie birds of 

 Sibiniii, and includes it in his list of those which jienetrate to the farthest north. 

 Mr. AVheelwright was informed that this species breeds on the coast of East Finland, 



' "Rill yellow, the tips black. Edges of ej-clids pide reddish-orange ; iris brown. 

 Ili'sh-rolor ; claws grayi-sh brown " (.\ui)ubon). 

 vol,. II. — 28 



Feet yellowish 



