594 HERRING GULL. 



pearl-grey or light bluish-grey, very slightly tinged vnth purple; the 

 edges of the wing and the extremities of all the quills, are white. The 

 first six quills are brownish-black towards the end, that colour including 

 the outer webs and the greater part of the inner of the two first, and on 

 the rest gradually diminishing, so as on the sixth merely to form a bar ; 

 first quill with a patch of white about an inch and a half long on both webs 

 near the end ; second with a circular white patch on the inner web, the 

 tips of all white. 



Length to end of tail 23 inches, to end of wings 24-^, to end of claws 

 21 1 ; extent of wings 53 ; wing from flexure 18 ; tail 7^ ; bill along the 

 ridge 2|, along the edge of lower mandible 3 ; its depth at the angle | ; 

 tarsus Si ; middle toe ^i, its claw ^|. Weight 1 lb. 10 oz. 



The Female is similar to the male, but somewhat less. 



Young in November. Plate CCXCI. Fig. 2. 



Bill brownish-black, paler at the base of the lower mandible. Edges 

 of eyelids greenish-grey ; iris hazeL Feet purplish flesh-colour ; claws 

 brownish-black. The general colour of the whole plumage is light pur- 

 plish-grey, the upper part of the head darker, the lower parts minutely 

 mottled with pale yellowish-grey ; the feathers of the upper parts, and 

 the upper tail-coverts, irregularly edged and barred with greyish-white. 

 Primary quills greyish-brown, their inner webs paler, their tips whitish ; 

 tail of the same colour, its base and outer webs of lateral feathers irregu- 

 larly mottled with whitish, the tips brownish- white. 



Length to end of tail 18| inches, to end of wings 20 ; extent of wings 

 51 ; wing from flexure 16 ; tail 6 ; bill along the ridge 2, along the edge 

 of lower mandible 2^; tarsus 2^; middle toe 2, its claw ^**. Weight 22 oz. 



From the examination of individuals of this species, it would appear 

 that little reliance can be placed on the markings of the quills as afibrd- 

 ing a specific character. Four undoubted specimens of Lams argentatus 

 now before me, have a white spot, varying in length from one to two 

 inches, and including both webs, near the end of the^r*^ quill. One has 

 no spot on the second quill ; another has a spot on both webs of the second 

 quill of one wing, and a smaller spot on part of the inner web of the same 

 quill of the other wing ; the third has a very small spot on part of the 

 inner web of the same quill of both wings ; the fourth has a large circular 

 spot on the inner web of that quill also in both wings. 



