LAIUD.E — THE (iULLS AND TERNS — LARUS. 



245 



X 



''^l 



V 



Larger form (= liruchi, Bp?.) 



Hab. The whole of North America ; south (in winter) to Mexico and Cuba, 

 Sp. Chaii. Sii lli;r thai L. califoniicus, the bill more slender, and without red spot, the mantle 

 much paler, tlie iris yellow, and i'eet greenish yellow in the udult. Adult, in nuvimcr ; Mantle pale 

 IKiul-blue (much as in L. argentatus, much paler thun in L. brachyrhyuchm or L. cunus), the sec- 

 ciiidiiries and tertials passing terminally into 



inue white. Outer primary black, with a _ 



uhite space l.iiS to I.TjO inches long near - '_ '-*^^.^-j;',, .^ 



the end, involving both webs, the shaft, how- 

 ever, black ; second ipiill similar, but with 

 tlie white space snuiller, and the extreme 

 li|) also white ; third, with tlie basal half 

 pale peail-gray, and the apical white spot 

 larijer ; next, similar, but the subterminal 

 liliick more restricted, the line of deniar- 

 ciilion between it and the i)ale pearl-gray 

 still more sharply defmeil ; fifth, pale pearl- 

 j^iiiy, passing terminally into white, but 

 crossed near the end by a wide band of 

 black, about .75 of an inch wide ; sixth (luill 

 pale pearl-gray, passing into white termi- 

 nally, and marked near the end by a more 

 or less imperfect black spot ; remaining (luills pale pearl-blue, passhig terminally into white, and 

 witliout a trace of black. Bill greenish yellow, crossed near the end by a blackisli band, the tip 

 sometimes tinged with orange ; rictus and eyelids verniilion-red ; interior of mouth rich orange- 

 red, more intense posteriorly ; iris clear pale yellow ; feet pale yellow, sometimes tinged with green- 

 ish ; claws black.' Adult, in lointer : Similar, 

 but the head and neck, except beneath, streaked 

 with brownish gray. Youmj, first plumage: 

 Above, brownish duskv, the feathers bordered 

 with pale grayish buff ; primaries blackish dusky, 

 the inner quills bluish gray basally, and tipped 

 with white ; secondaries bluish gray on basal 

 half, dusky black terminolly where edged with 

 white ; basal two thirds of the tail pale gray, 

 more whitish basally, mottled with deeper gray- 

 ish ; terminal third dusky black, narrowly 

 tipped with white. Lower parts white, spotted 

 laterally with grayish brown. " Bill black, 

 base of lower mandible and edges of the upper 

 towanl the base, livid ilesh-color ; edges of eye- 

 lids livid blue ; iris hazel ; feet purplish gray, 

 claws brownish black " (Audubon). 

 AVing, 13.60-15.75 (average, 14.45) inches; culmen, 1.55-1.75 (1.04) ; depth of bill through 

 aiijilo, .5t>-.65 (.56) ; tamis, 1.90-2.45 (2.14) ; middle toe, 1.30-1.60 (1.46). [Sixteen adults.] 



This species appears to be found nearly throughout North America, tliough quite 

 irregularly. It breeds in high northern latitudes, on the coast of Labrador, and in 

 the interior; it occurs in winter both on the Atlantic and on the Pacific coast, on 

 the latter as far to the south as Mazatlan, and in the interior as far to the north in 

 summer as Lake Winnipeg. 



Sir John Richardson refers to it as Lams canus, and also as L. zonorhynchus. In 



' "Adult male, in nimmer : Bil! marked oppo' ! tlio angle with a broad tmnsverse band of brownish 

 black, between which and the base it is liglit gi >\\ yellow, the tips orange-yellow. Edges of eyelids 

 Srociii.sli yellow ; iris bright yellow. Feet greenish j'cllow, the webs tinged with orange, claws bliiek " 

 (.\i:nuBON). 



» 



•T: \ 



,* 



Adult, in summer. 



