LAUID/K — THE (JULLS AND TERNS — LARUS. 



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upiMT tuil-coverts, and grt'iittT iM)rtitni of ihu tail, jmrc wbite j occiput, nuriculnr rc'>»ii>n, lower jwrt 

 of llie iiaiio, Icumir mul inithllu wit)i,'-ioviii'U, SHajxiliirs, tertiuls, iiiul teniiinal ihinl of the tail 

 (. xci'pt lateral feallii-is) blackish fuliginous, tin; fuatlicrs (except on heatl uiul neck) iMJiilenul ter- 

 niiually with white or pale bulf ; greater wing-coverts uiid secondaries delicate pale ]ieurl-blue ; 



prinmries with outer welw mostly blackish (more slaty basitlly), thn inner webs mnxtly white, 

 <X(c|it next the shaft and towanl ends ; priniary-coverta uniform black. '* Bill horn-black ; feet 

 ll.sli-coloird."' 



Wing, ulwut rt.7r>-!).(H) inches ; tail, 4.30 ; culmen, .9() ; tarsus, \ m ; middle toe, .0(). 



Tlio claim «)f this Idrd to he iuohuU'd in the fauna of North America rests npon 

 soiuowhat (}uestioMal)le (rrounds. Iliciiurdson states that a single Individual of this 

 species Wits obtained on Sir iFohn Franklin's first expedition to the Arctic Uegions, 

 anil that this specimen was a young bird in its lirst year. According to Major 

 Wcdderhurn, this species is an occasional winter visitant in liermnda, occurring there 

 only in midwinter. Major Wcdderhurn procured a spccinuni on the I'l'd of fJanuary, 

 is I*), (hiring a strong northerly gale, and another one was killed in the following 

 month. 



This (J\ill was noticed, and a specimen obtained, on the western coast of Mexico 

 by (Jolonul (rrayson, in the tn'ighlHirhood of Ma/atlan. He states that a few individ- 

 Uids were seen, ami that specimens wen* i»rocured in a fresh-water lagotin near the 

 Sfu-sliorc, March li", l.S(>S. He did not meet with any others afterward. 



According to Wheelwright, this s|)ecies breeds in liotland, but is m»t known to do 

 80 in any otlu'r part of Scandinavia. It is far more common around Novaya T^adoga 

 and .\rchangel in Russia. Its habits are .said greatly to resendde tho.se of the Ltiriis 

 ri)llhini(liis of Europe; and its eggs are described by .Mr. WMieelwright as U'ing of 

 iiiiirji tlu! saim> shaiK! and color, but smaller than those of that bird, and measuring 

 l.litl inches by l.L'o. 



.\ccording to Varrell, this species is oidy a winter visitant to Great liritain, where, 

 tlioiiLrii not abundant it is of by no means infre(pient (xtcurrence. II(> nu'iitions 

 twcnty-tiirec instances iii which the tinu> and place of capture of this (Juil iiave been 

 ]iut on record in various parts of Ireland, ICnglaud, and Scotland, stating that in 

 nrarly all these the birds were in immature plumage. In only one or two instances 

 liiivc the individuals been in thf adult plumage, and these were taken in Irelaiul. 



Tlie egg of the A. mliiiitiis, as ligured bv Mr. Ilewitson, is \Xtl\ inches in length, 

 anil l.LT) in In'cadth ; the grouinl-4;olor is olive-brown, and this is spotted and blotched 

 with two shades of reddish bniwn. 



Mr. Temminck killed two specimens of this (lull and ])rocured several others in 

 Hiillaud, and .Messrs. Xecker and Schinz rec(U'd five instances of its having Im-cu 

 tak>ii iibout the lakes of Switzerland. Savi includes it among the birds of Italy; ami 

 it is said to be ftmnd every winter on the shores of the Adriatic, the Mediterranean, 

 luii'. also on the Caspian Sea. 



' 'I'ln' l'n'>li riilors »!(• K'vrii by Miii'nillivniy as IViUows : " Ailiilt, in wiiili-r: Hill and iris bluckixh 

 liniHii ; fct of u very bri),'lit vrriiiilion. .I'hill, in siimmir. Hill of ii V4'iy di'fp luku-nid , iris di-cp 

 liriiwii ; feet riiinsiin. Vuiiiiij : Hill lilui'kiHli bixiwn ; I'l-cl livid llthli-iulor." 



\oi,, II. — ;)4 



