LAEUS. 423 



the Gatinets, and about the breeding-places they feed largely at the expense of the 

 latter ^. 



Heermann's Gull feeds on small fish, Crustacea, and moUusca, and sometimes robs 

 the Pelicans of their prey 8. The egg is described by Dr. Brewer as of a deep drab- 

 colour, with large dark bistre blotches scattered over the surface and a few lilac 

 under-markings ^. 



5. Larus argentatus. 



Larus argentatus, Briinn. Orn. Bor. p. 44. iio. 149 ' ; Baird, Brewer, & Ridgway, Water-Birds 



N. Araer. ii. p. 235 " ; Saunders, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxv. p. 260 ' ; Gates, Cat. Eggs 



Brit. Mus. i. p. 215*; Allen, Auk, xix. p. 283°. 

 Larus smithsonianus, Coues, Pr. Philad. Acad. 1862, p. 296 '. 

 Larus argentatus smithsonianus, Coues, Key N. Amer. Birds, p. 312^; Stone, Pr. Acad. Phil. 1890, 



p. 202 ' ; A, O. U. Check-l. N. Amer. Birds, 2nd ed. p. 19 ° ; Nelson, N. Amer. Fauna, 



no. 14, p. 23 '". 



Supra pallide margaritaceo-cinereus ; teetrioibus alarum majoribus, secundariis et soapularibus late albo 

 terminatis, fasciam transalarem eonspicuam eshibentibus ; primariis nigris, plus minusve interne griseo 

 notatis, omnibus albo terminatis, internis autem plerumque pallide griseis, subterminaliter nigris ; pileo 

 colloque undique, uropygio et supracaudalibus, cauda tota et corpore subtus pure albis ; cello postico 

 ■ pallide brunneo striate : rostro flavo, ad aiigulum genydis rubro ; pedibus pallide carneis (in exuvie 

 flavidis) ; iride straminea ; annulo ophthalmico albo vel pallide flavicante. Long, tota circa 24*0, 

 alse 17'0, caudse 6'7, culm. 2-35, tarsi 2-45. 



5 baud a mari differt. Long, tota circa 23-0, alas 17'4. (Deser. maris et femiasB hiem. ex Corpus Christi. 

 Mus. nostr.) 



Ptil. cestiv. pileo colloque postico pure albis, minime brunneo striatis. 



Juv. Grrisescenti-brunneus, saturatiore brunneo marmoratus vel maculatus ; primariis nigris, vix intus 

 grisescentibus ; secundariis brunneis, albido marraoratis ; cauda brunnea, basin versus albido vermiculata ; 

 pileo cum coUo et facie laterali et praepectore albis brunneo striolatis vel maculatis ; corpore reliquo 

 subtus pallide grisesoenti-brunaeo. (Descr. femiuae juaioris ex Ventura, California. Mus. nostr.) 



Hub. North Ambeica^ generally, breeding from Maine, Northern New York, the Great 

 Lakes, and Minnesota northwards, south in winter to Lower California ^. — Mexico, 

 eastern coast {Berlandier^), off Progreso, Yucatan {Stone & BaJcer^), western 

 coast of Mexico ^, Isabel I., off San Bias, Tres Marias Is. {Nelson i**). — West 

 Indies ^. — Arctic and Temperate Europe ^. 



The Herring-Gull of North America is by some authors separated from the European 

 L. argentatus, under the name of L. smithsonianus. It has been recognized as 

 distinct by the Committee of the American Ornithologists' Union 3; but recently 

 Professor J. A. Allen has shown conclusively that the Herring-Gulls of the Old and 

 New Worlds are identical ^, thus confirming the opinion of Messrs. Baird, Brewer, 

 and Kidgway in America ^, and Mr. Howard Saunders in this country ». 



L. argentatus breeds in the arctic and subarctic regions of North America, and on 

 the inland lakes as far south as 40° N. on the Atlantic coast ^. In Central America it 

 is a winter visitant and has been seldom recorded. Mr. Nelson procured an immature 



