LARIDiE — THE GULLS AND TERNS — LARUS. 265 



upper tail-coverts, and greater portion of the tail, pure white ; occiput, auricular region, lower part 

 of the nape, lesser and middle wing-coverts, scapulars, tertials, and terminal third of the tail 

 (except lateral feathers) blackish fuliginous, the feathers (except on head and neck) bordered ter- 

 minally with white or pale buff ; greater wing-coverts and secondaries delicate jjale pearl-blue ; 



primaries with outer webs mostly blackish (more slaty basalh^), the inner webs mostly white, 

 except next the shaft and toward ends ; primary-coverts uniform black. '• Bill horn-black ; feet 

 flesh-colored." ^ 



Wing, about 8.75-9.00 inches ; tail, 4.30 ; culmen, .90 ; tarsus, 1.00 ; middle toe, .90. 



The claim of this bird to be included in the fanna of North America rests upon ' 

 somewhat questionable grounds. Richardson states that a single individual of this 

 species was obtained on Sir John Franklin's first expedition to the Arctic Regions, 

 and that this specimen was a young bird in its first year. According to Major 

 Wedderburn, this species is an occasional winter visitant in Bermuda, occurring there 

 only in midwinter. Major Wedderburn procured a specimen on the 22d of January, 

 1849, during a strong northerly gale, and another one was killed in the following 

 month. 



This Gull was noticed, and a specimen obtained, on the western coast of Mexico 

 by Colonel Grayson, in the neighborhood of Mazatlan. He states that a few individ- 

 uals were seen, and that specimens were procured in a fresh-water lagoon near the 

 sea-shore, March 27, 1868. He did not meet with any others afterward. 



According to Wheelwright, this species breeds in Gotland, but is not known to do 

 so in any other part of Scandinavia. It is far more common around Novaya Ladoga 

 and Archangel in Russia. Its habits are said greatly to resemble those of the Larus 

 rldibundus of Europe ; and its eggs are described by IMr. Wheelwright as being of 

 much the same shape and color, but smaller than those of that bird, and measuring 

 1.66 inches by 1.25. 



According to Yarrell, this species is only a winter visitant to Great Britain, where, 

 though not abundant it is of by no means infrequent occurrence. He mentions 

 twenty-three instances in which the time and place of capture of this Gull have been 

 put on record in various parts of Ireland, England, and Scotland, stating that in 

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

 have the individuals been in the adult plumage, and tliese -were taken in Ireland. 



The egg of the L. minutus, as figured by Mr. Hewitson, is 1.63 inches in length, 

 and 1.25 in breadth ; the ground-color is olive-brown, and this is spotted and blotched 

 with two shades of reddish brown. 



. Mr. Temminck killed two specimens of this Gull and procured several others in 

 Holland, and Messrs. Necker and Schinz record five instances of its having been 

 taken about the lakes of Switzerland. Savi includes it among the birds of Italy ; and 

 it is said to be found every winter on the shores of the Adriatic, the jNEediterranean, 

 and also on the Caspian Sea. 



' The fresh colors are given by Macgillivray as follows : "Adult, in winter: Bill and iris blackish 

 brown ; feet of a very bright vermilion . Adult, in summer : Bill of a very deep lake-red , iris deep 

 brown ; feet ciinison. Voicng : Bill blackish brown ; feet livid flesh-color." 



VOL. II. — 34 



