LARID^, GULLS. GEN. 281-5. 311 



2-3 years ; in the interim, birds are found in every stage. They are always darker 

 tlian the old, often quite dusky ; usually with black or flesh-colored bill ; and of those 

 with black on the primaries when adult, the 3'oung usually have these quills all 

 black. There being no peculiar extra-limital species, those of our country give a 

 perfect idea of the whole group. Some seventy-five species are curreuth' reported ; 

 there are certainly not over fift}', and I doubt that there are over forty unques- 

 tionable species. For these, thirtj' ! generic names have been invented, nine-tenths 

 of which are simply preposterous. 



N. B. In using the following descriptions, understand that the color is vjldte, 

 unless otherwise stated. 



281-5. Genus LARUS Linnaeus. 



A. Species of largest to medium size, of robust form, with a stout bill, more or 

 less strongly hooked, and protuberant at the symphysis ; the white of the under x>urts 

 never rosy-tinted^ nor the head enveloped in a dark-colored hood, 

 a. Hind toe well developed, bearing a perfect claw. 

 * Tail of the adult entirely white. 



f Feet not black ; and with full webs. 

 % Primaries without any black. 



K' H ^' Glaucous Gull. Ice Gull. Burgomaster. Primaries entirely white, or 

 palest possible pearly-blue fading insensibly into white at some distance from 

 the end, their shafts straw-yellow; mantle palest pearly-blue; bill yellow, 

 with vermilion spot on lower mandible ; feet flesh colored or pale yellowish. 

 In winter, head and hind neck lightly touciied -svith dusky. Young : impure 

 white, with or without traces of pearly on the mantle; bead, neck and upper 

 parts mottled with pale brownisli (sometimes quite dusky on the back), the 

 under parts a nearly uniform but very faint shade of the same, the quills and 

 tail often imperfectly barred with the same; bill flesh-colored or 3'ellowish, 

 black-tipped. Very large ; length about 30 ; extent 60 ; wing 18, or more : 

 bill 2| or more; tarsi 3 or more. Arctic America; S. coastwise in winter 

 to the Middle States. Eich., F. B.-A. ii, 416; Nutt., ii, 306; Aud., vii, 

 170, pi. 449; Lawk, in Bd., 842.— i. hutchinsii Eich., F. B.-A. ii, 419? 

 CouES, Proc. Phila. Acad. 1862, 294, and Proc. Essex Inst, v, 306 ; Elliot, 



pi. 53 (young) GLAUCUS. 



, -^ / Wldte-toinged Gull. Precisely like the last, but smaller; length about 

 24 (rather less than more); wing 16-17; bill lf-2 ; tarsus 2-2^. Same 

 habitat. Eich., F. B.-A. ii, 418 ; N"utt., ii, 305 ; Aud., vii, 159, pi. 447 ; 



Lawe. in Bd., 843. . . • leucopterus. 



-^'i-f i" Glaucous-ivinged Gull. Primaries of the color of the mantle to the very 

 tips, which are occupied by definite small white spots ; the 1st also with a 

 large white sub-ajsical spot. Mantle average "gull-blue ;" Ijill yellow with 

 red spot ; feet flesh-colored ; in winter, the head and hind neck clouded with 

 dusky. Young : gray, more or less variegated with whitish, chiefl}^ in bars 

 on the back and wings ; bill black, or pale with dark tip. Size and shape of 

 argentatus ; the adult is exactly like that species, excepting that the primaries 

 have the color of the mantle, instead of black ; the j'oung are much paler 

 than young herring-gulls. I have seen no specimens not instantly distin- 



