386 



6 



Dr. Coues to be abundant in North America, and generally distributed. Compared with Larus 

 canus we find no difference in colours, or arrangement of colour, in the dried skin ; but when 

 fresh-killed it is said to have the feet olivaceous, obscured with dusky or bluish, the webs bright 

 chrome, and it has on the bill a broad dusky bar. 



Larus brachyrhynchus, which inhabits Arctic and western North America, along the Pacific 

 coast and in the interior, differs from Larus delawarensis in having the mantle rather darker in 

 colour ; and it approaches very close to our large race of Larus canus [Larus niveus). We regret 

 that we are unable to examine a series of this and the other American species, so as to speak 

 with some degree of certainty as to their distinctness from the European species. It has the feet 

 bluish green and the webs yellow. In order to show the difference in measurements between 

 various examples of Larus canus, from different localities, and the two American species above 

 referred to, we give the following Table, and may add that we measure the culmen from the base 

 of the bill, and the height of the bill at the gonys : — 



Species. 

 Larus canus 



L. 

 L. 



delawarensis 

 brachyrhynchus 



Sex. 



Locality. 



Culmen. 



Height 

 of bill. 



Wing. 



Tail. 



Tarsus. 



Middle 

 toe. 







inches. 



inch. 



inches. 



inches. 



inches. 



inch. 



<3 ad. 



Lecko, Sweden. 



2-10 



0-45 



139 



5-60 



1-85 



1-60 



d juv. 



Oland, Sweden. 



2-0 



0-45 



14-20 



5-50 



2-0 



1-82 



juv. 



Pagham, Sussex. 



2-10 



0-40 



13-80 



5-40 



2-10 



1-70 



not quite ad 



do. 



1-90 



0-40 



14-30 



5-60 



1-80 



1-60 



6 ad. 



Leadenhall Market. 



1-90 



0-45 



14-40 



5-50 



2-0 



1-80 



$ ad. 



Central Russia. 



1-85 



0-45 



14-20 



5-60 



2-0 



1-75 



6 ad. 



Asia Minor. 



2-0 



0-48 



def. 



5-60 



2-15 



1-75 



6 juv. 



Hempstead. 



1-90 



0-45 



14-20 



5-40 



2-10 



1-70 



6 ad. 



Orkneys. 



1-90 



0-45 



13-80 



5-75 



2-0 



1-65 



? ad. 



do. 



1-75 



0-38 



130 



4-90 



1-75 



1-50 



6 jun. 



do. 



1-80 



0-43 



13-5 



5-65 



2-0 



1-60 



juv. 



do. 



1-95 



0-40 



14-25 



5-50 



2-0 



1-60 



ad. 



Amoy. 



2-15 



0-45 



14-75 



5-75 



2-0 



1-80 



juv. 



Labrador. 



1-90 



0-45 



1375 



5-75 



2-0 



1-65 



ad. 



San Mateo, California. 



1-90 



0-40 



13-75 



5-50 



1-75 



1-70 



juv. 



do. 



1-85 



0-38 



13-25 



5-0 



1-75 



1-65 



In its habits the Common Gull differs but little from its congeners which occur along our 

 coasts. As before stated, it is with us much commoner during the winter than in the summer 

 season. Macgillivray, writing on the habits of the present species, says that, " the fields having 

 been cleared of their produce, and partially ploughed, to prepare them for another crop, the 

 ' Sea-Maws,' deserting the coasts, appear in large flocks, which find subsistence in picking up the 

 worms and larvae that have been exposed. These flocks may be met with here and there at long 

 intervals in all the agricultural districts, not only in the neighbourhood of the sea, but in the 

 parts most remote from it. Although they are more numerous in stormy weather, it is not the 

 tempest alone that induces them to advance inland ; for in the finest days of winter and spring 

 they attend upon the plough, or search the grass fields as assiduously as at any other time. 

 Frequently they have no companions of other species ; but often they mingle with Tarrocks, and 

 sometimes with Herring-Gulls. Should the country become covered with snow they retreat to 



