OE THE GALAPAGOS AECHIPELAGO. 505 



Larus fuliginosus. (Plate LXXXVII.) 



Lamsfuliginosus, Gould, Zool. Voy. Beagle, iii. p. 141 ; Sol. & Salv. P. Z. S. 1870, p. 323, et 1871, 

 p. 574; Sundev. P. Z. S. 1871, p. 125. 



Obscure cinereus, capita undique obscuriore ; subtus pallidior, abdomiae imo albicanti- 

 griseo : secundariorum apicibus et tectricibus supracaudalibus albidis, his griseo tinctis : 

 remigibus 1°, 2°, 3° omnino nigris, 4°, 5°, 6° griseo terminatis ; reliquis griseo-nigrican- 

 tibus, apicibus paulo pallidioribus : cauda dorso concolori, rectricibus duabus utrinque 

 externis albidis : macula supra et infra oculos alba, ciliis rubris, iride brunnea : rostro et 

 pedibus rufescenti-uigris : ore ruberrimo : long, tota 18-0, &\?e 13-8, caudse 5-9, tarsi 2-3^ 

 rostri a rictu 2"5. 



S juv. fuliginosa, subtus paulo dilutiore : alarum tectricibus pallide fusco marginatis : 

 remigibus et tectricibus nigris : rostro et pedibus nigris : iride obscure brunnea. 



Eab. Galapagos (Darwin) ; Indefatigable and Abingdon Islands (Ilabel) ; Charles and 

 Indefatigable Islands (Sundevall). 



The nearest allied species to Larus fuliginosus is L. modestus of the coasts of Peru 

 and Chili. We have already pointed out the differences between these birds in our 

 paper on South-American Laridae (P. Z. S. 1871, p. 573). They consist in the Gala- 

 pagos bird having a stouter hill and a well-marked blackish hood. The figure now 

 given, compared with the plate oi Larus modestus in Eraser's ' Zoologia Typica' (t. 69), 

 will, I trust, prevent further confusion respecting these species. 



" A pleasing bird, which does not fly away, but on the contrary approaches one with 

 a friendly greeting call-note. They sometimes become troublesome, as they feed on meat 

 hung up to dry, and are driven off only to return again. They take little notice of 

 stones thrown at them, unless actually hit. They appear to be always quarrelling and 

 chattering with each other over their food, each one trying to take the morsels from 

 another. When I shot a bird the others all circled round me, whether in grief or rage 

 I could not say. They form more or less numerous groups, chiefly frequenting the sea- 

 shore, and in smaller numbers they visit the lagoons. This Gull feeds on crabs and 

 any dead animal substance. Amongst a large flock of slaty-coloured birds some few of 

 a brown colour will be seen. I was inclined to look upon these as varieties, being at a 

 loss how else to account for them. These Gulls fly but a short way, and do not appear 

 to pass from island to island. I did not observe any on Hood's island." — IL 



Genus Ceeagrus. 

 This genus seems to have been suggested by Bonaparte in his criticism of Herr 

 Bruch's first paper on Laridse, published in the 'Journal fiir Ornithologie ' in 1853. 

 Bonaparte writes, " Le sixieme genre de M. Bruch est coupe par moi en deux : chacune 

 de ces especes formant le type d'un genre separe, Xenia restant a sabini, Leach, pour 

 laquelle il fut cree, et furcatus, Neboux (non Lesson), etant celui de Creagrus, Bp." 



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