BIRDS — ^LARIDAE — LAKUS OCCIDENTALIS. 



845 



List of specimens. 



LAEUS OCCIDENTALIS, Audubon, 



The Western Gull. 



Larus occidentalis, Aim. Om. Biog. V, 1839, 320.— Ahd. Birds Am. VII, 1844, 161. 

 l,aroides occidentalis, Brdch, Cab. Jour. 1855, 282. — Bon. Cons. Av. II, 1856, 219. 



Sp. Gh.— Adult. The head, neck, rump, tail, and under plumage, pure white ; the back and wings grayish blue, many shades 

 darker than in L. argentatm; the first six primaries are black towards their ends, extending on the first for about half its length, 

 and lessenfhg on the others, until on the sixth it is reduced to a narrow sub-terminal bar ; the tips of all are white, on the first 

 the white is an inch and a half in extent, and crossed near the end with black ; secondaries and tertiaries with broad white tips ; 

 'ris gray ; bill deep yellow, with a bright orange red spot on the angle of the lower mandible ; legs and feet flesh color. 



Young mottled with lead colored brown, grayish white, and brownish ash, lighter on the lower parts ; primaries blackish 

 brown; bill brownish black, dull yellow at basq; legs and feet brownish flesh color. 



Length, 25 inches j wing, 17 ; tail, 7 ; bill, 2^ ; depth at angle, I ; tarsus, 2i. 



Hob. — Northwest coast of North America. 



There are numerous specimens of all ages of this well marked species in the collection ; it is 

 easily distinguished from L. argentaius hy its darker colored mantle. A striking characteristic 

 in the young of this species is its very stout bill, which, though much shorter than in the adult, 

 has comparatively great depth at the angle. 



Mr. Audubon's original' specimens of this species are now in the private cabinet of Professor 

 S. F. Baird. 



lAst of specimens. 



Catal. 

 No. 



4493 



6451 



6455 

 6463 

 6484 

 6465 

 6474 

 6459 

 6454 



Locality. 



Oregon 



Shoalwater Bi] y. 



.do. 



.do. 



Bodega^Cal ..,, 

 Presidio, Cal.., 



do 



do 



do 



San Diego, Oal . 

 do 



When col- 

 lected. 



Dec. 6, 1854 



Jan. 6,1855 



Oct. 30, 1854 



Dec.-, 1854 

 Ap'l 25, 1853 



May 4,1853 



Whence obtained. 



Orig'l 

 No. 



Oab. G- N. Lawrence, 

 Lieut. Williamson.., 



.do. 



Gov. Stevens . 



Lieut. Trowbridge., 



do ., 



do , 



...,•.. do 



do 



do 



do 



Collected by— 



Dr. Cooper . 



,...do 



,...do 



T. A. Szabo 

 ,...do 



A. Cassidy.. 



Length 



Stretch 

 ofwingB, 



23.00 



21.50 



24.00 



23.00 

 22.00 

 25.00 

 25.00 

 23.00 

 22.50 

 24.00 



54.00 

 52.50 

 55.00 



Wing. 



15.25 



15.50 



16.00 



15.75 

 15.26 

 17.00 

 16.00 

 15.00 

 14.50 

 16.00 



Remarks. 



Eye dark brown ; feet brown- 

 ish flesh color. 



Eye gray ; feet black; bill yel- 

 low. 



Iris gray; yellow bill; feet 

 flesh color. 



