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THE WHITE-WINGED SILVERY GULL. 



Larus leucopterus, Faber. 



PLATE CCLXXXII. Adult Male, and Young. 



I HAVE not met with this species farther south than the Bay of New 

 York. During the winter it is not rare about Boston and farther east- 

 ward. At the approach of summer, before the pairing of the Herring 

 Gull, Larus argentatus, the White-winged GuUs collect in flocks, and set 

 out for the distant north, where they breed. 



The flight of this species so much resembles that of the Herring Gull, 

 that were it not for its smaller size, and the different colour of its wings, 

 it could not be distinguished from the other. It is less shy, however, 

 proceeds farther up the rivers and salt-water creeks, and alights oftener 

 on the water as well as on the salt-meadows, than that species. While at 

 Portland in Maine, I observed a good number of these Gulls flying over 

 the inner harbour close to the shores, descending towards the water, and 

 picking up garbage in the manner of the Herring Gulls, with which they 

 associated. Their notes were not so loud, nor so often heard. 



I was surprised to find but very few on the coast of Labrador, and 

 these did not seem to be breeding, for although we carefully watched them, 

 we did not succeed in finding any nests. 



Larus leucopterus, Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 361. 

 Larus leucopterus, White-Winged Silvery Gull, Swains, and Richards. Fauna 



Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 418. 

 Larus arcticus, Macgillivray, Wern. Trans, vol. v. p. 268. 

 White-winged Silvery Gull, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 305. 



Adult Male. Plate CCLXXXII. Fig. 1. 



Bill shorter than the head, strong, nearly straight, compressed. Upper 

 mandible with the dorsal line nearly straight at the base, arched and de- 

 clinate towards the end, the ridge convex, the sides slightly convex, the 

 edges sharp, nearly direct, the tip rather obtuse. Nasal groove rather 

 long and narrow ; nostril in its fore part, lateral, longitudinal, linear, 

 wider anteriorly, open and pervious. Lower mandible with a prominence 



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