LARIDJ:— THE GULLS AND TERNS. 233 



trray, passing terminally into whito, and without a trace of black. Bill greenish yellow, 

 crossed near the end by a blackish band, the tip sometimes tinged with orange; rictus and 

 eyeUds vermilion-red; interior of mouth rich orange-red, more intense posteriorly; iris 

 cleai' pale yellow, sometimes tinged with greenish; claws black.* Adult, in winter: Sim- 

 ilar, but the head and neck, except beneath, streaked with brownish gray. Yonng, first 

 plnmaoe: Above, brownish dusky, the feathers bordered with pale grayish buff; primaries 

 blackish dusky, the inner quills bluish gray basally, and tipped with white; secondaries 

 bluish gray on basal half, dusky black terminally where edged with white; basal two thirds 

 of the tail pale gray, more whitish ba-ally. mottled with deeper grayish; terminal third 

 dusky black, narrowly tipped with white. Lower parts white, spotted laterally with gi-ay- 

 ish brown. "Bill black, base of lower mandible and edges of the upper, toward the base, 

 livid flesh-color; edges of eyelids livid blue; iris hazel; feet purplish gray, claws brownish 

 black" (Audubon). 



Length, about 18.00-20.00 inches; wing. 13.60-15.75 (average, 11.4.5); culmen, 1.55-1.75 (1.64); 

 depth of bill through angle, .50-. ti5 (.56); tarsus, 1.90-2.45 (2.14); middle toe. 1.30-1. 60 (1.46). 

 [Sixteen adults.] 



Like the Herring' Gull (Z. argentatus smithsoniarvm)^ this is a 

 common species throughout eastern Noith America, the north- 

 ern border of the United States being, approximately, the 

 southern limit of its summer home, and the northern limit of 

 its winter range. Its habits are essentially like those of its 

 laro-er relative. 



Larus atricilla Linn. 



LAUGHING GTILL. 



Popular synomyms. Black-headed Gull; Apipisea grande de alas largas (Mexico); 



Gaviota, (Mexico). 

 Larus atricilla LiNN. S. N. ed. 10, i, 1758, 136; ed. 12, i, 1766, 225 (based on Larus major 



Catesb. i, 89, but also includes the European species, L. ridibundus Linn.).— Nutt. 



Man. ii. 1834, 291.— AuD. Orn. Biog. iv, 183?<, 118, pL 314; Synop. 1839. 324; B. Am. vii, 



1^4, 13G, pL 443.— CouEs, Key, 1872. 315; Check List, 1873. No. 554.— Saundebs, P. Z. 8, 



1878, 194.— RiDGW. Nom. N. Am. B. l&il. No. 6T3; Man. N. Am. B. 1887, 35.— B. B. & R. 



Water B. N. Am. ii, 1884, 254.— A. O. U. Check List, 188(i, No. 58. 

 Larus (.Chroicocevhalus atricilla Beuch. J. f. O. 1853. 106.— CouES, B. N. W. 1874, 650. 

 Chroicoeephalus atricilla Lawe. in B.urd's B. N. Am. 1858, 850.— Bated, Cat. N. Am. B. 



1859, No. 667.— CouES, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1862. 310; 2d Check List, 1883. No. 786, 

 Larus ridihuv'ns Wils. Am. Orn. ix, 1814, 89, pL 74, flg. 4 (not of LiNN.). 

 Larus plumbiceps Bbehm, Lehrb. 722 (Gbat). 

 Larus {Atricilla) megalopteras Beuch, J. f. 0. 1855, 287. 

 Atricilla catesbcei Bonap. Naumannia. 1854, 212. 

 Atricilla miliar Bonap. I.e. 

 Atricilla macroptera Bonap. 1. c. 

 Lams {Atricilla) micropterus Beuch, t c. 283. 



^"AdtiU male, in summer. Bill marked opposite the angle with a broad transverse 

 band of brownish black, between which and the base it is Ught greenish yellow, the tips 

 orange-yellow. Edges of eyeUds greenish yellow; iris bright yellow. Feet groenLsli yel- 

 low, the webs tinged with orange, claws black" (Audubon). 



—30 



