'^^3-] Brewster on an apparently New Gull. 2 I C 



bring together from other sources a number of examples of L. 

 glaucus and Z. leucopterus^ and two more Z. glaucescens. 



A critical study of this material has resulted in the following 

 conclusions: (i) That the Gulls from Grand Menan and the 

 Bay of Fundy are identical with the Cumberland Sound speci- 

 men. (2) That they represent a form distinct from Z. glauces- 

 cens. (3) That this form is not referable to any species or 

 variety now recognized by the best authorities on Laridce. 



Before going further it is necessary to revert to a Gull which 

 has given systematists no little trouble ; this is Larus ckalcop- 

 terus. The name was instituted* by Lichtenstein in 1854, with- 

 out accompanying characterization. In the following year 

 Bruch identified with it a Gull of which he gives the following 

 brief description : t "Wholly similar to the preceding [i. e. Z. 

 leucapterus'] except in the primaries, which are ash-gray with 

 round white terminal spots. The young plumage, as with Z. 

 glaucopterus [ = Z. glaticescensl, i^ dark gray. Habitat, 

 American Coast of Behring's Straits and Greenland." 



This description, as far as it goes, agrees well with the bird 

 which we are about to consider, but let us trace the history of 

 chalcopterus a little further. 



It was admitted as a valid species by Lawrence in 1858, J and 

 similarly acknowledged by Coues in i862,§ but the latter author 

 has i-ecently united it with Z. glaucescens .,\\ remarking that 

 " there is not the slightest likelihood that it is anything more 

 th.?in glaucescens. probably in somewhat immature condition." 



Neither Lawrence nor Coues claimed to have seen specimens of 

 chalcopterus., but Saunders has been more fortunate. He exam- 

 ined Lichtenstein's type, which turned out to be merely an exam- 

 ple of Z. leucopterus. Concerning Bruch's bird he was evidently 

 in doubt, for a .'' is prefixed to the reference which is given among 

 the synonyms of leucopterus ; while the chalcopterus of Lawrence 

 and Coues is placed under glaucescens.^ 



The gist of all this seems to be that the original Larus chal- 

 copterus was simply Z. leucopterus. As to Bruch's chalcopterus 



* Nomencl. Av. Mus. Berol., p. 99, 1854. 

 ' tj. f. Orn., 185s, p. 282. 

 \ B. N. A., 1858, p. 843. 

 § Proc. Phila. Acad., 1862, p. 295. 

 II Birds N. W., pp. 622, 624.I 

 Tf Proc. Z06I. Soc. of London, Feb. 5, 1878, pp. 166, 167. 



