371 



Madras, and the Sandheads ; and I found them very numerous along the coast of Scinde, and the 

 Mekran coast as far as Gwaaer. I also shot one at Muscat. On the Sambhur Lake, on the 

 Najafgurh Jheel, and other similar pieces of water in Northern India, I have seen many ; but at 

 the Munehur Lake, in Scinde, I actually shot (and they are wary birds) sixteen in three days. 

 They are to be met with in the Indus as high up as Sukker, in the Ganges up to Monglujr, and 

 in the Bhurumpooter, I am told, nearly to Assam, throughout the cold season ; but about March 

 and October they are to be shot in all the great rivers of Northern India, the Indus, Chenab, 

 Sutledge, Jumna, Ganges, almost at the foot of the hills, apparently to and from their breeding- 

 haunts. Where these are I have not yet been able to discover. Not, I now believe, in Cashmere, 

 possibly the Caspian or Lake Ural, or the swamps of Geistan. Those I shot this year at the 

 Manchur lake were getting into breeding-plumage, but the black head was complete in none 

 but those shot in the latter half of February on the Mekran coast were all in full breeding 

 plumage." It has also been recorded by Cassin from Japan, having been obtained at Hakodad 

 on Commodore Perry's expedition, though not referred to by Temminck and Schlegel in the 

 ' Fauna Japonica.' 



Of the breeding-habits of this Gull but very little is known. Pallas, who has been often 

 quoted in what he says on this subject, merely states that it lays its eggs on the bare sand, with- 

 out any vestige of a nest. Mr. H. F. Moschler's collector in Sarepta writes that they breed in 

 colonies, like the Common Black-headed Gull, and that it is only possible to make sure of 

 obtaining the bird just as she rises from her eggs. The eggs sent by this collector are said to 

 come from near Sarepta ; but Mr. Taczanowski informs me that though met with on the delta of 

 the Volga, he scarcely thinks that it breeds there. Arzibascheff, he says, met with it on the lakes 

 of Barbanchak, Hanata, and Laza-nor; and Rickbeil states that it breeds there. Generally, 

 however, it is met with only on the islands along the east coast of the Caspian Sea, where it 

 breeds in company with Larus leucophceus. According to Eversmann the young are hatched out 

 in June, and soon leave the nest and run about. Eggs in my collection, received from Mr. Moschler, 

 measure 2|§ by 2^ inches, and are dull stone-drab in colour, streaked and blotched with light 

 and dark umber-brown. 



Pallas describes the call of this Gull as being a hoarse, raven-like croak (kou, kou), which it 

 utters when on the wing. 



The adult bird and nestling figured and described are in my own collection. 



In the preparation of the above article I have examined the following specimens :— 



E Mus. H. E. Dresser. 



a, 3 ad. Volga, May (Moschler). b,pullus. Volga (Moschler). 



E Mus. Howard Saunders. 

 <*> c?, b, $>. Volga, May (pair sent with eggs). c,pullus. Volga, June. 



E Mus. H. B. Tristram. 

 a, ad. Sea of Galilee, February 29th, 1864 (H. B. T.). 



E Mus. G. E. Shelley, 

 a, <S,b,2. Fayoom, Egypt, February 27th. c, 2 . Fayoom, March 7th. djuv. El Kab, Egypt. 



