﻿BIRDS 
  OF 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  I27 
  

  

  Larus 
  argentatus 
  Pontoppidan 
  

   Herring 
  Gull 
  

  

  Plate 
  5 
  

  

  Larus 
  argentatus 
  Pontoppidan. 
  Danske 
  Atlas. 
  1763. 
  1:622 
  

  

  DeKa}'. 
  Zool. 
  N. 
  Y. 
  1844. 
  pt 
  2, 
  p. 
  306, 
  fig. 
  270, 
  284, 
  286 
  

   Larus 
  argentatus 
  Smithsonian 
  us 
  A. 
  O.U. 
  Check 
  List. 
  Ed. 
  2. 
  1895. 
  No. 
  51a. 
  

  

  argentd'tus, 
  Lat., 
  silvery 
  

  

  Description. 
  Adult 
  in 
  summer 
  : 
  Head, 
  neck, 
  tail, 
  and 
  under 
  parts 
  pure 
  

   white 
  ; 
  mantle 
  "gull-blue" 
  about 
  the 
  same 
  shade 
  of 
  pearlblue 
  as 
  in 
  del- 
  

   aware 
  n 
  s 
  i 
  s, 
  but 
  darker 
  than 
  in 
  hyperboreus, 
  leucopterus 
  

   and 
  k 
  u 
  m 
  1 
  i 
  e 
  n 
  i, 
  primaries 
  like 
  the 
  back 
  at 
  base 
  extending 
  successively 
  

   farther 
  along 
  the 
  center 
  of 
  the 
  feathers 
  and 
  growing 
  nearly 
  white, 
  

   then 
  comes 
  a 
  black 
  portion 
  varying 
  from 
  a 
  length 
  of 
  5 
  inches 
  on 
  

   the 
  first 
  primary 
  to 
  a 
  mere 
  spot 
  on 
  the 
  seventh; 
  all 
  the 
  primaries 
  

   also 
  have 
  rounded 
  white 
  tips, 
  and 
  the 
  first 
  a 
  subapical 
  rounded 
  white 
  

   spot 
  about 
  I 
  inch 
  in 
  diameter, 
  which 
  becomes 
  elongated 
  in 
  older 
  

   birds 
  and 
  sometimes 
  coalesces 
  with 
  the 
  white 
  tip, 
  making 
  a 
  termi- 
  

   nal 
  white 
  portion 
  2 
  inches 
  in 
  length 
  ; 
  the 
  second 
  primary 
  has 
  a 
  subterminal 
  white 
  

   spot, 
  such 
  as 
  younger 
  birds 
  possess 
  on 
  the 
  first 
  primary; 
  bill 
  bright 
  chrome 
  

   with 
  a 
  vermilion 
  spot 
  at 
  the 
  angle; 
  legs 
  and 
  feet 
  pale 
  flesh 
  color. 
  In 
  winter: 
  

   Head 
  and 
  neck 
  streaked 
  with 
  dusky; 
  bill 
  duller. 
  Nearly 
  mature: 
  Upper 
  

   parts 
  margined 
  or 
  mottled 
  with 
  grayish; 
  tail 
  with 
  an 
  indefinite 
  subterminal 
  

   dusky 
  band. 
  First 
  winter: 
  More 
  or 
  less 
  edged 
  and 
  mottled 
  with 
  dusky; 
  

   wing 
  and 
  tail 
  feathers 
  brownish 
  black 
  ; 
  often 
  on 
  upper 
  parts 
  patches 
  of 
  pearl- 
  

   blue; 
  bill 
  flesh 
  color 
  tipped 
  with 
  black. 
  Juvenal 
  plumage: 
  "Above 
  

   grayish 
  brown 
  with 
  whitish 
  and 
  bufliy 
  edgings; 
  below 
  plumbeous 
  with 
  

   inconspicuous 
  whitish 
  mottling, 
  the 
  head 
  and 
  neck 
  paler 
  and 
  tending 
  to 
  

   streaking. 
  The 
  primaries 
  are 
  uniformly 
  brownish 
  black. 
  The 
  rectrices 
  

   are 
  similar 
  but 
  basally, 
  and 
  the 
  outer 
  one 
  slightly, 
  mottled 
  with 
  grayish 
  

   white. 
  The 
  bill 
  is 
  plumbeous 
  and 
  the 
  feet 
  flesh-colored. 
  Natal 
  down: 
  

   Grayish 
  above 
  with 
  obscure 
  mottling 
  on 
  the 
  back 
  and 
  black 
  spots 
  on 
  the 
  

   head 
  and 
  throat, 
  paler 
  below." 
  [Dwight, 
  Auk, 
  18:58] 
  

  

  Length 
  22.5-26 
  inches; 
  average 
  24; 
  extent 
  54-58; 
  wing 
  16. 
  5-18; 
  tail 
  

   7.5; 
  bill 
  1.95-2.5; 
  depth 
  of 
  bill 
  at 
  angle 
  .7-85; 
  tarsus 
  2.3-2.8; 
  middle 
  toe 
  

   and 
  claw 
  2.3. 
  

  

  Field 
  marks. 
  The 
  amateur 
  can 
  scarcely 
  mistake 
  this 
  bird 
  for 
  any 
  of 
  

   our 
  other 
  gulls, 
  except 
  the 
  Ring-billed 
  species. 
  The 
  young 
  Iceland 
  and 
  

   Kumlien 
  gulls 
  are 
  practically 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  size, 
  but 
  the 
  plumage 
  of 
  the 
  

   present 
  species 
  is 
  much 
  darker, 
  especially 
  on 
  the 
  wings 
  and 
  tail, 
  than 
  in 
  

  

  