LAian.K -THE GULLS AND TERNS — LARUS. 



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il,-li-ii)lor" (^IvuMi.iKN, MS.). Total lenjjth (before .«kinninL,'1, iH.iX) inches ; winj;. LMH) ; tail, 

 (; a> ; culuieii, l.(iO ; ilojUli of lull tliri)iii,'h l>ase, .(>(> ; tliroiij,'li aiijjle, .;").") ; tardus, ±l'\ 



ill lii.H oiij,'iiial ilesi'i'iittiou of this species, Mr. 15rewster ,i,'i\es the fullowiiiL; nieasnremeiits of 

 aiMitioiial si)eeiinens, which we have not hail the opportiiiiily of examinin>; ; — 



(1) Adult, from P.ay of Fiiiuly (ohtaiiu'd ahout N'ov. 1, 1881), nientioned by >[r. Hrewsler in 

 " I '.11 11. Nutt. Oni. Club." April, 188;i, p. liif) : "Win.,'. Iti.OO inches: culinen, 1. 88 ; bill from 

 iiostril, .88; };ape, 2.7.')-, heij;ht at nostril, .(Hi; ilo. at jinj^le, .(!(i; tai-sns, •2.-2^> ; miiliUe toe and 

 , liiw, 2.30 ; tail, (i.rx)." 



(-2) Athilt S , Grand Meiiaii, New Rrnnswick, .Ian. -21, 1883 : " ' Len.,'lh, •J;}.7.'> inches ;' winj;, 

 17.0() ; ciilnien, 1.8,") ; bill from nostril, .80; gape, -J. 75 ; height at nostril, .(i") ; ^\^<. at angle, .<!."> ; 

 taisiis, 2.;U) ; middle toe antl claw, 2.28 ; tail, 7.22." 



(:\) Immatiiir, Hay of Fiindy, February, 1883 : '• ' Length, •S.i.'M) indies ; extent, WW) ; ' wing, 

 l."i.,"iO ; cnlinen, !.(>;") ; bill from nostril, .8!) ; gape, 2.50 ; height at nostril, ..Mi ; do. at angle, .(iO ; 

 lais.is, 2.10 ; middle toe and claw, 2.1."i ; tail, ().!)(>." 



Another siuH-imen, a female, ajipaivntly not i^uite in mature jilumage, shot Jan. 27, 1881, on 

 tli.< Mohawk Hiver, near its junction with the Hiulson, and nientioiu'd by Mr. Austin F. Parkin 

 " The .Vuk '' for April, 1884, p. I !M). measured as follows: " Length, 2;}.(K) inches; extent, .'il.7.'> ; 

 wing, 1.'>.7.') ; bill, l.tiO; from nostril, ..'^O ; from gape, 2. (JO; height at nostril, .(iO; at angle, .(5."i; 

 tarsus. 2.20; middle toe and claw, 2.2.') ; tail, 7.00." Color of irides, one day after death, "jiale 

 Slavish brown; of its bill, light watery yellow, with a greenish shade near the base, and a small 

 viil spot in a little cloud of dusky on each side of the lower mandible above the angle." Legs and 

 \\v\ ticsh-color. 



According to Mr. Rrewster (" Hull. Nutt. Orn. Club," October, I88;i, p. 218), the characteristics 

 of this species " are pivtty uniforndy maintained " among the four specimens examined ; " but there 

 !■- some individual a.s well as sea.sonal variation. T'hus Mr. MerrilTs bird dilfcrs from the type in 

 having a more decided approach to a subterminal bar on the secoml jiriinarv, wheiv a transverse 

 spot of gray on the inner web is continued across to the shaft, but fails to connect with a snniller 

 corresponding spot on the etlge of the outer web. It also has a dusky spot in front of the eye, ami 

 sonic obscure mottling on the crown and nape — probably seasonal (winter) characteristics, 



" Mr. Smith's specimen is evidently immature. Its entire head and neck, and even the breast, 

 arc mottled with dusky, and the bill is givenish at the base. The mantle, however, is perfectly 

 ]iuic. and the wings show no traces of innnaturity. The bill is much weaker and more depressed 

 than in the othi'r examples. The pattern of the primaries is essentially the .same, but there is a 

 greater extension of gray, especially on the first two leathers, where it occupies a longer space on 

 till' outer webs, and on the .second primary forms a complete subtermimd bar. 



" In Mr. Welch's example the tilth as well as the second primary has a perfect subterminal bar, 

 ;uiil till' sixth shows an interrupted one ; while tiie slate spreads over the greater part of the webs 

 ol'ilic first three feathers, except terminally. This extension of the dark color restricts the while 

 spaces at tlie ends of the second, third, fourth, and tilth primaries to rounded apical spots which 

 rcsiiiible tiiose oi' (jhiitrisiriis. Tlu're is a further approach to ;//(n(i'i>-('( ».< in the iniusually deep 

 slia.le of the mantle and the bluish cast of many of the light areas on the primaries ; but the mantle 

 is still much lighter than in any specimen of ijlivicinoiii^ which I have seen." 



Mr. Park's specimen, according to Mr. I'rewsler ("The Auk," April, 1884, p. 1 !)(>), is nn>st 

 nearly like Mr. Welch's among those he had previously examined. "The bine of the mantle is 

 similarly <leep, and the slate-gray of the ]nimaries perhaps even mon.' extended, the first three 

 fcatlui's having their outer webs almost wholly dark, except termin.ally, where the white apical 

 spots, although present, aiv unusually restricted. ... I may ad<l that Mr. Park's specimen has 

 an unusually short stout bill, which is further peculiar in having the superior outline of the 

 niiixiUa almost perfectly straight from the ba.se to the angle." 



I.<irii.< Kumliiiii is apparently a distinct species, having its nearest ally in //. arrjcntatim, but 

 rclitod somewhat to L. ImcoptiriDi, and perhaps, as Mr. Hrewster has suggested, also to L. ijlnii- 

 ivjiii ».<. From the latter, however, it seems to us to dilfer rather materially in si/e, in the form ot 

 llio bill, and in the pronounced pattern of the iiuill-markings. The latter character, however, is, 

 tUYdi.liiig to Mr. Hrewster, sonu>wliat variable. 



Ill case the pi-esent bird should prove to be not ii distinct species, only two possible exjilanations 



ill 



