318 LARID^. 



all the following measurements, &c., were made. This was not, 

 however, until the morning of the 5th of February, when the 

 irides had faded so, that the colour could not be accurately 

 noted. 



in. lin. 



" Length (total) 13 9* 



„ of bill from forelicad . . . . . .11 



„ „ to rictus ....... 1 9 



„ of wing fi'oni carpal joint to end of primaries . . 10 4 

 „ of tarsus ........ 1 42. 



„ of middle toe ........ 1 2^ 



„ of middle toe-nail . . . . . . . 2i 



„ of outer toe ........ 1 1|- 



„ of outer toe-nail ....... 2 



„ of inner toe . . . . . . . .0 11 



„ of inner toe-nail . . . . . . .02 



„ of liind toe ........ 2 



„ of hind toe-nail . . . . . . .01 



Tibia bare of feathers fi-om tai'sal joint . . . . .06 



Wings pass the tail 1 9t 



" £Ul in fonn as described by Richardson, excepting that at the base its depth 

 exceeds its breadth. At the base of the upper mandible where the plumage ends, 

 it is 2i lines in breadth, whereas the depth at the same place is 3^ lines. In colour 

 it is black ; paler at the base beneath. Tarsi, toes, and webs of feet of a uniform pale 

 flesh-colour, as the ' legs ' of the young male are described to be in the ' Faun. Bor.- 

 Amer.' These are stated to be ' carmine-red ' in the adult. (In the specimen under 

 examination they are just the colour that I have remarked those of the nestling 

 Larus ridihundus to be, and which it retains through the following autumn and 

 winter ; the adult of this species having these parts of an arterial blood-red.) The 

 claws are partly blackish and dai'k brown. Inside of the mouth pale reddish flesh- 



" * As measured by applying a piece of twdne so as to touch each portion of the 

 bird, in a straight line, from the point of the bill to the end of the taU. The bird 

 being laid on a ilat siu-face, the space which it occupied from the point of the bill 

 to the end of the tail was 12 inches 6 lines. The length of three specimens given 

 in the ' Faun. Bor.-Amer.' was from 15 in. to 15 in. 6 lines. Looking to that work 

 after my measurement was made, and too late for coi'rection (the bii'd being skinned), 

 I found that the neck is stretched when the length is taken, whereas in this and 

 every similar case, 1 have been particular that it should never be in the least stretched, 

 but placed as it were in repose. Audubon describes the adult male as \^\ inches, 

 and the 'young in December as 13|- inches.' 



" t The figure of the adult bird in the ' Faun. Bor.-Amcr.' does not sufficiently 

 exhibit the length of wings : — they are described in that work as passing the tail 

 two inches. 



