BIRDS — ^LARIDAE — LAEUS DELAWARENSIS. 



847 



Sp. Ca.—^dult. The head, neck, under parts and tail are pure white ; back and wings very light pearl blue ; first and 

 second primaries black for two-thirds of their length towards the end, the three next quills have the black much less in extent, 

 and on the sixth it is reduced to a sub-terminal bar, the first quill is black at the end, above which is a broad white band, the 

 second quill is black to the tip, with a white spot on the inner web an inch and a half from the end, the other primaries tipped 

 with white ; secondaries and tertiaries ending in white ; iris yellow ; bill crossed near the end with a blackish brown band, 

 between which and the base it is greenish yellow, the tip is yellow ; tarsi and feet greenish yellovir. 



Length, about 30 inches ; wing, 15 ; tail, 6 ; bill, 1| ; depth at angle, | ; tarsus, 2i. 



Young. On the upper plumage mottled with blackish brown and gray; beneath grayish white, with light brown spots; 

 primaries black ; tail white, with a sub-terminal black band ; bill black, with the base yellow. 



Hah. — Arctic America ; Texas to Labrador ; western rivers ; northwest coast. 



No bird possessing the peculiar character of Mr. Ord's "delaivarenais," also named '.'The 

 Toothed- bill Gull," has been met with since the time of his description, nor has his species 

 been identified with any oth«r. His account of its measurements and coloration agrees 

 precisely with the adult L. zonorJiynchus, the only character to reconcile is the tooth d bill ; 

 this I consider as a possible malformation, or probably an accidental toothing, caused by its 

 being, worn in some particular mode of feeding. 



It is, of course, difficult to establish certainly the identity of Mr. Ord's species with the present, 

 but I am strongly of the opinion that they are the same, for the reasons given above, and also 

 from the fact of no others having been obtained. As all our species are abundant, if this was 

 really distinct, it surely could not have so long escaped observation. 



Feeling, therefore, quite confident that Mr. Ord's species can be no other than the one now 

 described, I have given his name priority. 



Below I have given Mr. Ord's description. 



"Length, 19^ inches; extent, 46; upper mandible with four indentations or blunt teeth, 

 lower with three ; corner of mouth and eyelids bright vermilion ; head, neck, tail, and beneath, 

 pure white ; wings, back and scapulars, blue ash. Weight, 19 ounces." ♦ 



I have appended to this, and also to the account" of several other species, extracts from some 

 original notes made by Dr. Suckley in Washington Territory. 



Note by Br. Suckley. — "This gull is quite common on Puget's Sound in winter. It seems to 

 be subject to great changes in color of plumage, feet and bill, at different ages. The habits of 

 this bird have been so well described by Nuttall and others, that I have scarcely anything to 

 add. On Puget's Sound, during the cool months, this species is found abundantly on the 

 marshes and flats at the mouths of the different rivers emptying into the Sound. When an 

 individual is wounded, like other gulls, his comrades hover over and circle around the victim, 

 as if impelled by motives of curiosity or compassion ; at this time frequently the others can be 

 'rapidly brought down by the same gunner with his undischarged barrels. But the occasion 

 must be quickly seized, because the sympathizing birds which at first are bewitched, as it were, 

 by the accident to their companion, soon lose the charm, and, becoming more wary, enlarge 

 their circles, and ascending higher and higher soon place themselves out of shot range." 



lAst of. specimem. 



