LAHID^ — THE GULLS O TERNS — LAUUS. 



255 



AtrkiUa Cutcahn-i, BosAi'. Xiiiimannia, 1854, 212. 



AlrkiUa minor, Bonap. 1. c. 



Atricilla macroptcru, Bonap. I. c. 



Larua (Atricilla) microplcnis, Bkuch, t. c "288. 



Hah. Tropical niul W;»riu-temj)erate Ameiicii, north to Maine, Ohio, Illinois, etc., but chiufly 

 al»n<{ the sea<oa.st ; south to the Lower Amazon ; both coasts of Central America. Casual in 

 I'liirope. 



Sp. Chab. Adult, in summer : Heail and upper halt' of the neck (e.xtending farther down in 

 front than on the nape) dark sLite-color, with n .slight brownish tinge, darkest on the neck ; an 

 elongated white spot on each eyelid ; lower half of the neck, all round, entire lower parts, upper 

 tail-coverts, and tail, pure whit«, the under surface with a delicate roseate tinge in fresh specimena ; 

 mantle deep plumbeous, the secondaries and tertials broadly tipped with white. Outer live prima- 

 vios black, with or without a small white apical 

 spot, the bases of the thinl, fourth, and fifth 

 slaty for a greater or le.ss distance, this sometimes 

 aliruptly defined against the black, but oftener 

 grading insensibly into it ; remaining quills 

 iioary plumbeous, tippe<l with white, the si.xth 

 sometimes with a subtcrminal black spot, liill 

 iliirk brownish red, the terminal third of the cul- 

 men and the gonys blood-red or carmine ; eye- 

 lids dull dark red ; rictus and interior of mouth 

 Hcshy red ; iris dark grayish brown ; legs and 

 feet dark retldisli brown, the welis darker ; claws 

 black. Adult, in winter : SiniiLir, but head and 

 nei'k white, the occiput and auricular region 

 spotteil or mottled with bwwnish gray, and the 

 eyes more or less surrounded by the same. BiU 



and feet more dusky. Ynuug, first plninnijf: Interscapulars, scapulars, and wing-coverts, grayish 

 iirown centrally, broadly bordereil with i)ale grayish liufi" or day-color ; ^'reater wing-coverts ash- 

 gray, tinged on tenninal edges with ])ale gr.iyish bnlf ; secondaries dusky, abruptly fijiped with 

 white ; primary coverts and primaries black, the latter narrowly lipped with white. Central 



portion of the rump light brownish ash ; lateral and 

 posterior portion of the rump, upper tail-coverts, 

 and ]iosterior lower parts, white, i'lisal half of the 

 tail light ash-gray ; terminal portiim black, i' -rowly 

 tiii])ed with white. Head, neck, breast, and sides, 

 nearly uniiorni brownish gray, darker on the occiput 

 and nape, and more or less tinged with pale Vnill'y 

 beneath, especially in younger individuals ; alxlomen 

 grayish white or pale brownish gray. Rill and feet dusky Ijrownish (in skin). Ihu-iiy ymimj: 

 Ai)nve, grayish fulvous, the head irifgnlarly striped or spotted, the back, wings, and rump 

 irrcL^'ularly marbled with dusky. Lower parts light grayish fidvous, inclining to ochraceous on 

 the breast and middle of the alHlomen, which are immaculate ; lateral and under parts of the 

 head marked with several large and distinct spots of black ; foreneck, sides, flanks, and anal 

 n'giiiii dull fulvous-grayish, faintly mottled with darker. Uill dull light brown ; legs and feet 

 'lull dusky brown. 



Total length, about lfi.50 inches ; wing, 13.00 ; tail, 5.00 j culmen, 1.75 ; depth of bill through 

 no-tvii-i, .45 ; tarsus, 2.00 ; miildle toe with claw, 1.50. 



The Black-headed, or Laughing, Gull is found at different seasons along the whole 

 Atlantic coast of the United States. It breeds as far to the northeast as Te; uant's 

 Hiubor, in Maine, near the western extremity of Penobscot Bay, and during 'atter 

 part of the summer extends its migrations as far as the Bay of Fundy ; bu of 





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