LARID^ — THE GULLS AND TERNS — LARUS. 



flesh-color" (Kumlien, MS.). Total length (before skinning), 22.00 inches; 



6.40 ; culmen, 1.60 ; depth of bill through base, .60 ; through angle, ..55 ; tars 



In his original description of this species, Mr. Brewster gives the followii 



additional specimens, which we have not had the opportunity of exarnining : — 



(1) Adult, from Bay of Fundy (obtained about Nov. 1, 1881), mentioned 1 

 "Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club," April, 188.3, p. 125: "Wing, 16.00 inches; culme 

 nostril, .88 ; gape, 2.75 ; height at nostril, .66 ; do. at angle, .66 ; tarsus, 2.2 

 claw, 2.30 ; tail, 6.50." 



(2) Adult $ , Grand Menan, New Brunswick, Jan. 21, 1883 : " ' Length, 2; 

 17.00; culmen, 1.85 ; bill from nostril, .89; gape, 2.75; height at nostril, .65 

 tarsus, 2.30 ; middle toe and claw, 2.28 ; tail, 7.22." 



(3) Immature, Bay of Fundy, February, 1883 : " ' Length, 23.50 inches ; ex: 

 15.50 ; culmen, 1.65 ; bill from nostril, .89 ; gape, 2.50 ; height at nostril, .56 

 tarsus, 2.10 ; middle toe and claw, 2.15 ; tail, 6.90." 



Another specimen, a female, apparently not quite in mature plumage, sho' 

 the Mohawk River, near its junction Avith the Hudson, and mentioned by Mr. 

 "The Auk" for April, 1884, p. 196, measured as follows : "Length, 23.00 inc: 

 wing, 15.75 ; bill, 1.60; from nostril, .80; from gape, 2.60; height at nostril, 

 tarsus, 2.20; middle toe and claw, 2.25 ; tail, 7.00." Color of irides, one day 

 grayish brown ; of its bill, light watery yellow, with a greenish shade near th 

 red spot in a little cloud of dusky on each side of the lower mandible above th( 

 feet flesh-color. 



According to Mr. Brewster (" Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club," October, 1883, p. 218) 

 of this species " are pretty uniforndy maintained " among the four specimens exa 

 is some individual as well as seasonal variation. Thus Mr. Merrill's bird ditfer 

 having a more decided approach to a subterminal bar on the second primary, 

 spot of gray on the inner web is continued across to the shaft, but fails to con 

 corresponding spot on the edge of the outer web. It also has a dusky spot in f 

 some obscure mottling on the crown and nape — probably seasonal (winter) ch; 



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

 are mottled with dusky, and the bill is greenish at the base. The mantle, h( 

 pure, and the wings show no traces of immaturity. The bill is much weaker a 

 than in the other examples. The pattern of the primaries is essentially the s 

 greater extension of gray, especially on the first two feathers, where it occupie 

 the outer webs, and on the second primary forms a complete subterminal bar. 



" In Mr. Welch's example the fifth as well as the second primary has a jierfe 

 and the sixth shows an interrupted one ; while the slate spreads over the greate 

 of the first three feathers, except terminally. This extension of the dark color 

 spaces at the ends of the second, third, fourth, and fifth primaries to rounded 

 resemble those of glaucescens. There is a further approach to glaucescens in 1 

 shade of the mantle and the bluish cast of many of the light areas on the primar: 



