BLACK-HEADED GULL. 655 
and tail, pnre white ; the scapulars, wing-coverts, and whole upper 
‘parts, are of a fine blue ash color; the first five primaries are black 
towards their extremities; the secondaries ‘are tipped largely with 
white, and almost all the primaries slightly ; the bend of the wing is 
white, and nearly three inches long ; the tail is almost even it consists 
of twelve feathers, and its coverts reach within an inch and a half of 
its tip; the wings extend two inches beyond the tail; a delicate blush 
is perceivable on the breast and belly. 
The head of the female is of a dark dusky slate color; in other 
respects, she resembles the male. 
imperfect sub-terminal bar on the tail, point it out as a young bird, most probably com- 
mencing its second spring. The rest of its plumage corresponds with that of L. zonorhyn- 
chus, except that it wants, the catreme white tips of the quill feathers, which, on the third 
and following ones, are very conspicuous in L. zonorhynchus. It differs, however, remark- 
‘Diy, in its bill boing shorter, though considerably stouter, than that of our Z, canus; and, 
like it, itis wax-yellow, with a bright yellow rictus and point. Its tarsus is nearly one third 
shorter than that of Z. zonorhynchus. Many may be disposed to consider this and the pre- 
ecding as merely local varieties of Z. canus; and it might be urged, in support of this opin- 
ion, that there ure considerable differences in the length and thickness of the bills of indi- 
viduals of the common and winter Gulls killed on the English coasts, which are usually refer- 
red to L. canus. We hive judged it advisable, however, to call the attention of ornithologists 
to these American birds, by giving them specific names, leaving it to future observation to 
determine whether they ought to retain the rank of species, or be considered as mere 
varieties.” — RicHaro. 
4 
Tn this place must be introduced the genus Leséris, or Siua, of which only one spe- 
cies was enumerated by Wilson in his list —the £. cataractes, Iiger — the com- 
mon Skua Gull of British ornithologists. ‘The Prince of Musignano mentions, in 
addition, the now well-known European:and British species, L. parasiticus and 
pomarinus,; another somewhat allied, but not yet well distinguished, L. Buffonii, 
Bojé3 anc a fifth species is described as new in the Northern Zoology, and is ded- 
icated to Dr. Richardson — L. Richardsonii. It seems closely allied to L. Buffo- 
aut, byt the distinctions yet want clearness and confirmation. It was-found breed- 
ing in considerable numbers in ‘the barren grounds, at a distance from the coast. 
"The following are Bonaparte’s characters of L. Buffonii, by which it is alone known. 
“ Lestris Buffonii, Bojé.. Bill, one inch and a quarter from the front, straight, notched ; 
middle tail feathers, gradually tapering, narrow for several inches, ending in a point ; tar- 
sus, one inch and a half long, almost smooth. — Adult, brown; neck, and beneath, white, 
the former tinged with yellow. — Young, wholly brownish. . 
“ Arctic bird, Edw. pl. 148; Burr. Pl. eal, 762. Lestris crepidata, Brehm.” — Bonar. 
Syn. No. 306. 
And I add the observations of Mr. Swainson regarding L. Richarsonii:— > 
“ Richardson’s Jager, whole plumage, brown; two middle 'tail-feathers, abruptly acumi- 
nated ; tarsi, black, twenty-two lines long. 
“This specimen appears to us to be in full and mature plumage ; we cannot, therefore, 
view it as the young, or even as the female, of the Lestris Buffomi of Bojé, which we only 
know from the characters assigned to it by the Prince of Musignano. According to this 
account, the ZL, Bugfunii has the bill.an inch and a quarter long from the front; ours is only 
an‘inch: the tarsi are described as almost smooth, whereas in ours they are particnlarly 
rough. The adult, as figured in plate 762 of the Pl. enl. las the chin, throat, and sides of 
the neck quite white ; but, in our bird, these parts are of the same pure and decided tint as 
that of the body, except that the ear-feathers, and a few lower down the neck, have a slight 
tinge of ochre.* The tarsi wlso, in both the plates cited by the Prince, are colored yellow. 
These differences, with the more important one exhibited in the feet, will not permit us 
to join these birds under one nume. Another distinction, which must not be overlooked, is 
in the color of the feet. Edwards expressly says of his ‘ Arctic Bird, (pl. 149, which much 
more resembles ours than that figured on the pfate immediately preceding,) that ¢ the legs 
and toes are all yellow;?, whereas, in our bird, these members are of a deep and shining 
Slack ; while the hinder parts of the tarsi, toes, and connecting membrane, are particularly 
rough.”? —Sw. 
This Jager breeds in considerable numbers in the barren grounds, at a distance from the 
coast. It feeds on shelly moliuser, which are plentiful in the small lakes of the Fur Coun- 
tries, and it harasses the Gulls in the same way with other$ of the genus. — Ep, 
* The pure color or uniform tint of the lower parts will not stand as characters in our native species Wey 
: \ 
rary coos.anly.— Ed. , \ 
