The Zoologist — September, 1866. 369 



male lias often lost all trace of having bred. The examination of the 

 bones also is a good test for youth. This is generally the "barren" 

 blackheaded gull of authors. 



No. 13. Link 6. Third Autumn. — Moult is general. Birds frequently 

 met with with the hood mixed with white. Bill and legs carmine. 

 This moult generally begins in August and September, though it is 

 often protracted. 



No. 14. Tliird Winter. — As the adult in winter. 



No. 15. Adult in Winter. — From a bird in November. Head, neck, 

 rump and tail-coverts, tail, bastard wing and end primary coverts pure 

 white, as are all the under parts and the margin of the wing; the spot 

 before eye and the ear-spot black. Back, shoulders, scapulars and 

 wing-coverts pale blue-gray. Feet and bill deep scarlet-carmine. 

 Eye-lids reddish ; irides hazel. Type of the Adult Primary Quills. — 

 No. 1. Tip, including shaft and filaments for half-an -inch, black ; rest 

 of shaft white; lesser filament from the black tip for two inches pure 

 white; rest consists equally of black and white, the black outwards; 

 greater filament from the black tip for one inch all white ; rest white 

 edged with black, the edge growing deeper towards the pen. No. 2. 

 Entire tip for half-an-inch black ; shaft white, except at tip ; all the 

 lesser filament but tip while ; greater filament same as No. 1, but 

 edged with black throughout. No. 3. Tip deeper; greater filament as 

 in No. 2 ; black edge larger ; lesser filament white for two inches after 

 the black tip, edged with white ; shaft but at tip white. No. 4. The 

 same; at point a white spot; the black edge not so extensive to the 

 lesser filament; the white of greater filament bluish lead-colour. 

 Nos. 5 and 6. Closely similar; the rest are lead-colour, with a dark 

 fringe. No. 7 has sometimes two black spots at tip. As these quills 

 remain on a year till the next autumnal moult, the edges and tips are 

 liable to variation from wear. (In collection.) 



No. 16. Link 7. March. The hood assumed by moult, though in 

 old birds I have known this change by transmutation. 



No. 17 a. Adult in Summer.— M^y. As in winter, but with a dark 

 soot-brown hood. The feet and bill arterial blood-red. Eyes 

 encircled with white. The under parts often pale or very rich rose- 

 colour. 



No. 17 b. Hood faded and mouse-colour by July. (In collection.) 



No. 18. Autumnal moult begins in August or September; dura- 

 tion varies. The new white feathers turn the hood into strange 

 shapes. 



SECOND SERIES — VOL. I. 3 B 



