650 LAEUS ATRICILLA, LAUGHING GULL. 



LAEUS (CHECECOGEPHALUS) ATEICILLA, Linn. 

 Laughing Gull. 



Larus atricilla, Linn., Syst. Nat. i, 1766, 225 (L. major, Gates., i, 69, but alwo incluileH 

 the Eiirop('a,n species).— Temm., Man. ii, 1820, 779.— Stepii., Gen. Zool. xiii, 

 1825, 20'5.— Fi.EM., Br. An. 1828, 142.— Bp., Syn. 1828, 3.'59.— Niirr., Man. ii, 1834, 

 291.— ,Jkn., Man. 1h:;.^,, 273.— Aud., Orn. Biog. iv, 1838, 118, pi. 314; Syn. 1839, 

 324 ; B. Am. vii, 1844, 136, pi. 443.— Keys. & Bi.as., Wirb. Eur. 1840, 9(i.— Giu., 

 B. L. I. 1844, 358.— DeKay, N. Y. Zool. ii, 1844, — , — .— Sciii.., Rev. Crit. 

 1844, 127.— GiiAY, Gen. of B. iii, 1849, 654.— Pura., Pr. Ess. Inst, l^'5(;, 221 

 (Massuchusetts).- TUHNB., B. E. Pa. 1669, 38.— Pelz., Orn. Bras. 32;!.- .ScuL., 

 Mils. P.-B. iv, lH<i3, Lari, p. 44.— Gray, List Br. B. ]8(;4, 231— Tayi.oi:, Ibis, 

 18C4, 172 (Porto Rico).— Sum.., Ofv. K. Vet. Ak. 1809, .590 (St. Bartholomew).- 

 Sci.. & Salv., p. Z. S. 1871, 576.— Haiiting, Br. B. 1872, 175.— CoUEs, Key, 

 1H72, 315.— RiDQW., Ann. Lye. N. Y. x, 1874, 391 (Illinois). 



Xcma alriciUa, BoiE, Isis, 1822, 563.— Bp., List, 1«3H, (12. —Cab., Schouib. (Juiaiiii, iii, 761. 



Garla alriiUIa, Macgil., Man. Orn. ii, 1842, 240.— Blas., J. f. 0. 1865, 378. 



Chrokmcphabis atricilla, Lawk., B. N. A. 1858, 850.— SCL., Ibis, i, 1859, 223 (Belize).— 

 Newt., Ibis, i, 18.59, 372 (St. Thomas).— Bry., Pi: Bost. Soo. vii, 18.59, 134 (Ba- 

 hamas).- Wheat., Ohio Agi'ic. Rep. 1860, No. 268.— Coukh & Prent., Smiths. 

 Rep. 1861, 418 (Washington, D. C.).— Cuueh, Pr. Phila. Acad. 1862, 310.-S(;i,., 

 P. Z. S. 1864, 179 (Mexico).— Lawr., Ann. Lye. viii, 1864, 104 (Sombrero) ; viii, 

 1866, 299 (New York).— Boardm., Pr. Bost. Soc. ix, 1862, 131 (Maine). -Verr., 

 Pr. Ess. Inst, iii, 1862, 160 (Maine).— Allen, ibid, iv, 1864, 90 (Massachusetts " in 

 winter;" an error).— Couem, ibid, v, 1868, 307 (New Euyland, "winters:" 

 error).- Coues, Ibis, 1864, 388 (Central America, both coasts). — Coi.kk, Pr. 

 Phila. Acad. 18ii6,99(ColoradopLiver).— IJRHSS., Ibis, 1866, 44 (Texas).— Gundl., 

 Kep. Fis. Nat. i, 391 (Cuba).— Coues, Pr. Bost. Soc. xii, 1868, 126 (South Caro- 

 lina).— Coues, Pr. Phila. Acad. 1871, 40 (North Carolina).— Hatch, Bull. Minn. 

 Ae;;d. i, 1874, 67 (? Minnesota). 



Lanta lidihmidus, WiLS., Am. Orn. ix, 89, pi. Ti.—hv.tn-., Ois. Trin. 532. 



" Luvnx jilimibiceps, Brehm, Lehrb. 722." (Gray.) 



Atricilla caieshcei, Bp., Conipt. Rend. 18.56, 771.— lii'.L'Cii, J. f. 0. 18.55, 287. 



.Ilricilla mi(-ropt<:rns, Brugu, J. f. 0. 1855, 287. 



Jlridlla mhiiir et maeroptera, Bp., Compt. Rend. 1856, 771. 



DiAG. L. tnrfio medium digilum superante, rostro niyrescente-rubro apice acuminato, nmiiyi- 

 buH nigris, albo-terminatis. 



Hub. — Troiiical and temperate America. In the United States north on the Atlantic 

 ill summer to Maine ; in the interior to Ohio ; on the Pacific to California. Central 

 America, both coasts, and various West Indies. In South America to the Lower Amar 

 /.on. Casual in Europe. 



Bill longer than the middle toe and claw, shorter than the tarsus or hi'.'ul, rnoderatelj 

 ccjriipressed, rather stout for this genus. Culinen and eoniniissuro both decurved at the 

 end, the latter somewhat sinuate at the base. Omiys considerably concave in front of 

 the angle, somewhat so bet^veen the angle and tip ; although tho angle is well defined, 

 the tip of the bill is so decurved that a chord from tip to base does not touch it. Mid- 

 dle toe barely three-fourths the tarsus. 



Adult in summer. — Bill deep carmine ; legs and feet brownish-red. Hood deep i)lnm- 

 beous grayish-black, extending further on the throat than on the nape. Eyelids white 

 posteriorly. Neck all round, rump, tail, broad tips of secondaiies and tertials, and 

 whole under parts, white, the latter with a rosy tinge. Mantle grayish-plumhcoue. 

 Outer six primaries black, their extreme tips white ; their bases tor a very short dis- 

 tance on the first, and only in the inner web, and for a successively increasing distance 

 on both webs of the others, are of the color of the back. 



Adu.lt in winter. — Under parts simply white, not rosy: hood lost, the bc^ad being 

 white, inttrraixed with blackish. Bill and feet more dull in color. Otherwise as in 

 summer. 



Imviature. — Bill and feet brownish-black, tinged with red. Plumbeous of the upper 

 parts more or less mixed with irregular patches of light jjrayish-brown. Primaries 

 wholly deep brownish-black, fading at the tip. Seeondanes brownish-black on the 

 outer web. Tail feathers more or less tinged with plumbeous, and with a broad term- 

 inal band of brownish-black, the extreme tips of the feathers white. Uppi'r tail- 

 coverts white. 



Tountj-of-lhe-year. — Entire upper parts, and neck all round, light brownish-gray ; the 

 feathers tipped with grayish or nifous white, broadly on the scapulars and tcjitials, the 

 blue of the adults appearing on the wing-coverts. Eyelids whitish; a dusky space 

 about the eye. Forehead, throat, and under parts, dull whitish, more or less clouded 



