LAEUS CANUS VAR. BRACHYEHYNCHUS, MEW GULL. - 639 



c. hrachyrhynchus. 



Lams cams, EiCH., F. B. A. ii, 1831, 4520 (adult) ; not of authors.— Nutt., Man. 



if, 1834, 300. 

 Larus hrachyrhynchus, Rich., F. B. A. ii, 1831, 421 (juvenile).— Nutt., Man. ii, 1834, 301.— 



COUES, Pr. A. N. S. 1862, 302.- Elliot, B. N. A. ii, pi. 53.— Dall A- Bann., Tr. 



Chic. Acad'. 1869, 30,5.— FiNSCH, Abh. Nat. iii, 1872, 84. 

 Larus eanus var. hrachyrhynchus, CoUES, Key, 1872, 313. 

 Larus suckleyi, Lawk., Ann. Lye. N. Y. 1854, 204 ; B. N. A. 1858, 847 (young).- Coop. & 



Suck., N. H. Wash. Ter. I860, 274.— Sohl., Mus. P.-B. iv, 1863, Lari, p. 27.— 



Blas., J. f. O. 1865, 381. 

 Bissa septentnonalis, Lawis., Ann. Lye. N. Y. 1854 ; B. N. A. 1858, 854.— Coor. & Slck., 



N. H. Wash. Ter. 1860, 277. 

 Note. — The foregoing synonymy is based upon the consideration that there are three 

 recognizable varieties, but not species, of the canus group : 1. The typical European 

 bird. 2. The larger and perhaps otherwise distinguished bird of Asia, L. can us major 

 of Middeudorfif and Schlegel (see Blas., J. f. 0. 1865, 330). 3. The North American 

 bird, of which the adult as canus, and the young as hrachyrhynchus, were described by 

 Richardson, and subsequently as Bissa septcntrionalis (adult) and L. suckleyi (iuvenile) 

 by Lawrence. We have here only to do with the latter. 



Var. BRACHYEHYNCHUS, {Bicli.) Coues. 



DiAG. L. cano {Europce) similis ; minor, rostro hreviore, culmine magis conrexo, pallio dilu- 

 tiore, tarso vix longiore quam digitum medium cum ungue. 



Hah. — Interior of Arctic America, and Pacific coast generally. Not authenticated as 

 occurring on the Atlantic coast. 



Sp. ch. Bill small, somewhat stout for its length, much shorter than the head or 

 tarsus. Upper mandible straight to the end of the nostrils, moderately convex to the 

 tip, rather more so than in canus. Angle of lower mandible pretty well developed, 

 comparatively more so than in canus; the lower outline considerably concave posterior 

 to it, somewhat so before it. Commissure about straight to near the tip. Tarsus and 

 middle toe and claw about equal, the former but little if any longer than the latter. 



Adult in summer. — Bill bluish-green, its terminal third bright yellow. Lege and feet 

 dusky bluish-green, the webs yellowish. Mantle light grayish-blue or dark pearl-blue, 

 a shade lighter than in can us, much darker than in delawarensis. Primaries : the bluish- 

 gray bases rather lighter than iu canus, much darker than in delawarensis, but fading 

 into nearly pure white on all but the first at the juncture with the black portion ; these 

 bluish-gray bases of the feathers extend toward the ends much further than in canus, 

 as far as in delawarensis, and, as in that species, on the second, third, and fourth, extend 

 further along the central portions of the inner web than at the edges, so that they are 

 bordered for some distance with the black of the terminal portions of the feathers. 

 The black takes in the outer web of the first primary and nearly the whole of the inner, 

 but rapidly becomes narrower, till it is merely a subterminal transverse bar on the 

 sixth. The seventh has frequently a spot of black on one or both webs. First, with a 

 large white spot near the end two inches long, longer ou the outer than on the inner 

 web, not divided by the black shaft, the tip of the feather black ; second, with a sim- 

 ilar spot, but smaller, not longer on the outer than on the inner web, and divided by 

 the black shaft ; the extreme apex white, as are the apices of all the other primaries 

 except the first. 



Adult, high hreeding plumage. — Eyelids, ocular region, and gape of mouth, bright 

 orange-yellow, which color extends over the tip and cutting edges of the bill. The 

 green of the bill with a peculiar hoary glaucesceuce. Legs and Jeet bluish-green, the 

 webs bright gamboge-yellow. Otherwise as in the preceding stage. 



Adult in winter. — The head and neck all round, with the upper part of the breast, 

 mottled with dusky. 



Approaching maturity. — Head and neck faintly mottled. Primaries brownish-black, 

 without decided white tips ; the spots'on the first and second restricted. Tertials with 

 a dusky spot on each -web near the end. Tail with a more or less perfect subterminal 

 band. 



Young, first winter. — Bill, basally, flesh-color ; black on the terminal half. Legs and 

 feet light yellowish. Head, neck, rump, and whole under parts, mottled irregularly 

 with dusky. Back as in the adult, but the feathers with grayish edgings. Wing- 

 coverts, secondaries, and tertials, dusky ; darkest on the latter ; all with light edgings. 

 Primaries uniform brownish-black, without white sjpots, tips, or lighter bases. Tail 

 almost entirely brownish-black, with a narrow border Of white. 



Young in August. — Bill and legs as in the preceding. Everywhere whitish-gray ; the 

 white of the under parts appearing as mottling, and the blue of the upper parts as 

 irregular patches. Otherwise as in the preceding. 



Dimensions. — Length, 17.50; extent, 42; wing, 13.75; bill above, 1.40 ; gape, 2 ; width 



