385 



It has been found in Egypt, but is rare in that country ; and Captain Shelley when collecting 

 there only procured one single specimen, at Damietta, on the 27th of February. On the Algerian 

 coast, however, it is common, and is, according to Canon Tristram, in the winter season " most 

 abundant in the harbours during windy or stormy weather;" and this is confirmed by Mr. 

 Taczanowski, who records it as " common on the shores " of Algeria, and " saw several flocks 

 on Lake Fezzara." From the Canaries and Madeira it has not been recorded. 



To the eastward it is met with throughout Siberia and southward into China. We cannot 

 look on the larger race as a distinct species, as it merely differs in size, and, as above stated, the 

 measurements' of individuals from the same locality differ considerably. Whether Larus brachy- 

 rhynclms from Western America is the same as the Siberian bird we are unable to say, not having 

 examined a sufficient series of specimens, but think it not at all improbable. Middendorff met 

 with the large race on the western slope of the Stanowoj mountains on the 26th of April, and 

 found it common up almost to the top of the mountains, and especially numerous on the Sea of 

 Ochotsk. He remarks that in the Petersburg Museum there is a specimen of the small race 

 from Kamschatka. Dr. Radde states that this Gull breeds abundantly in June on the islands of 

 the lower Angara. Almost all the examples he procured there belonged to the large race 

 referred to by Middendorff. On Lake Baikal and at Tarei-nor it was common, but rarer in the 

 Central Amoor. They arrived at Tarei-nor on the 28th of March ; and Dr. von Schrenck found 

 it not uncommon on the Lower Amoor, where he procured both the large or Siberian race and 

 also the smaller European bird, as will be seen by the measurements of his specimens, which he 

 gives in detail. Mr. Svvinhoe met with it in Northern China, and has sent home numerous 

 specimens from Amoy, the bird found there being the larger race found by Von Middendorff on 

 the Stanowoj mountains. 



In regard to this large race of the present bird, as also other closely allied species, we 

 may make the following remarks. The large race, which is the Larus niveus of Pallas and the 

 Larus heinei of Von Homeyer, differs merely from the ordinary race of Larus canus by being 

 somewhat larger in size, and, if any thing, having the mantle a trifle darker in shade ; but this 

 latter character does not appear to be at all constant. We have carefully compared specimens 

 from Amoy with others from the Orkneys, and find no differences whatever other than those 

 above mentioned. As regards the importance of size only, irrespective of any other specific 

 character, we give below a table of measurements to show how greatly they vary, even in 

 examples of the same age and sex from the same locality. We have therefore considered it 

 inexpedient to separate Larus niveus as a distinct species, but look on it merely as\an occasional 

 larger race of the Common Gull. In this view we are supported by Professor Schlegel, who, having 

 compared specimens from Amoy, the Volga, and Smyrna, supposed to be a distinct species, pro- 

 nounces them to belong merely to a somewhat larger race of Larus canus, merely differing 

 somewhat in size. 



In America the present species is replaced by two very closely allied species — Larus dela- 

 warensis, Ord (L. zonorhynchics, Rich.), and Larus brachyrhynchus, Sw., the young of which was 

 described by Lawrence under the name of Larus suckleyi, specimens of which, thanks to the 

 liberality of our friend Mr. Howard Saunders, we have been enabled to examine and compare 

 with our own series of skins of Larus canus. The former of these (L. delawarensis) is stated by 



