COMMON AMERICAN GULL. 103 



line then nearly straight and ascending, the sides convex, the edges sharp 

 and inflected. 



Head rather large. Neck of moderate length. Body rather full. 

 Wings long. Feet of moderate length, rather slender ; tibia bare below; 

 tarsus somewhat compressed, covered before and behind with numerous 

 broad scutella, the sides reticulated ; hind toe very small and elevated, 

 the fore toes rather long and slender, the fourth longer than the second, 

 the third longest, all scutellate above, and connected by reticulated en- 

 tire membranes, the lateral toes margined externally with a narrow mem- 

 brane. Claws small, compressed, slightly arched, rather obtuse. 



The plumage in general is close, elastic, very soft and blended, on 

 the back rather compact. Wings very long, rather broad, acute, the 

 first quill longest, the other primaries rapidly graduated ; secondaries 

 broad and rounded, the inner elongated and narrow. Tail of moderate 

 length, even, of twelve rounded feathers. 



Bill marked opposite the angle with a broad transverse band of 

 brownish-black, between which and the base it is light greenish-yellow, 

 the tips orange-yellow. Edges of eyelids greenish-yellow; iris bright 

 yellow. Feet greenish-yellow, the webs tinged with orange ; claws black. 

 The general colour of the plumage is pure white, excepting the back 

 and wings, which are light pearl-grey. The first six quills are black 

 towards their extremities, the first and second being almost entirely so, the 

 sixth with only a small spot. The tips of these feathers are white, that 

 of the first having merely a narrow margin of that colour, which gradu- 

 ally enlarges on the rest, the first moreover has near the end a long patch 

 of white, the second a smaller one on the inner web. The proportional 

 size of the white marks on the outer primaries varies in individuals. 

 The other quills and secondaries are all white at the ends. 



Length to end of tail 20 inches, to end of wings 22i, to end of claws 

 20| ; extent of wings 48 ; wing from flexure 15^, tail 6 ; bill along the back 

 1|, along the edge 2|, depth at the base ^*|, depth at the prominence i ; 

 bare part of the tibia |, tarsus 2; middle toe l/^, its claw ^*| ; hind 

 toe f|, its claw j^^. Weight 1^ lb. 



Young bird, after first moult, shot on 26th November. Plate 

 CCXII. Fig. 2. 



Bill black, base of lower mandible and edges of upper towards the 

 base, livid flesh-colour. Edges of eyelids livid blue ; iris hazel. Feet 



