COUES, BIKDS OF NEW ENGLAND. 307 



but that such is the case is purely a matter of conjecture, 

 and would be an exchange of one doubtful opinion for 

 another. The other is, that it is an immature stage of 

 L. glaucus. The color of the bill and some other fea- 

 tures tend to confirm this latter supposition. I am some- 

 what familiar with the " theory of variation " which ob- 

 tains among Gulls during their progress toward maturity ; 

 but do not now recollect an instance in which the bluish 

 pearl of the upper parts of those species, which, like 

 glaucus, fiually attain this color, is not apparent at an age 

 evidently reached by the specimen in question. More- 

 over, if such a state of plumage as that just described is 

 a normal stage of glaucus during its adolescence, it is 

 rather singular that I should have met with no description 

 of such a condition in my tolerably thorough study of 

 Larine bibliography. For the present, therefore, I con- 

 tinue to give credence to the existence of a large pure 

 white gull, for which I have adopted the above name ; 

 being prepared, however, in view of the extreme uncer- 

 tainty of all matters ornithological, and especially Larine, 

 to retire from my position when the first good evidence of 

 its unsoundness is presented. 



No. 1132. p:ssex Co. S. Jillson, 1856. 



[Note. The Larus fuscus is given by Peabody (p. 380) as found off 

 the coast of Massachusetts, and by Linsley (p. 271) as from Stoning- 

 ton, Conn. These are, doubtless, erroneous identifications. There is 

 no good evidence of the occurrence of this European species on our 

 coasts.] 



Ghroecocephalus atricilla Lawr. — Laughing Gull. Ees- 

 ident. Not abundant. "A few breed about the islands." 

 (Bay of Fundy, Boar dm., p. 131.) Winters sparingly 

 along southern portions of the coast. 



No. 1106, young. Essex Co. S. Jillson, 1856. 



OKroQcocephalus Philadelphia Lawr. — Bonaparte's Gull. 

 Common ; resident, except perhaps during the breeding- 

 season. By no means confined to the coast. 



No. 1107, young. Essex Co. S. Jillson, 1853. 



Hissa tridactyla Bon. — Kittiwake. Common winter 



resident. Some probably breed oflT the coast of Maine. 



No. 1105, young $, winter. Essex Co. S. Jillson, 1854. 

 No. 1108, adult. Essex Co. Dr. H. K. Oliver, 1854. 



The Fork-tailed Gull, Xema Sahinii Leach, doubtless 



