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on the shores of the delta and the lagoons of the Petchora. We obtained several of its eggs, 

 which do not differ from those of the other European Herring-Gulls. Nearly all the birds which 

 frequent the Petchora were in adult plumage. We shot two birds in mature plumage, and may 

 have seen a couple more. Wherever a party of fishermen was stationed, there were sure to be 

 plenty of Herring-Gulls. They hovered over the nets as they were being dragged in, and 

 frequently secured small fish as they attempted to escape." Mr. Meves obtained this bird at 

 Cholmogory ; and it doubtless occurs elsewhere in Northern Kussia in Europe. Doubtless this 

 is also the Gull referred to by Von Heuglin (Ibis, 1872, p. 65) as having been observed in 

 Yugorsky Strait, Novaya Zemlya, and on Waigats. Messrs. Finsch and Brehm obtained it 

 on the Ob ; and Mr. Seebohm met with it on the Yennesei, in Northern Siberia. " During 

 the breaking-up of the ice," this gentleman says (Ibis, 1879, p. 162), " the wild cries of these 

 birds were an appropriate accompaniment to the grand crash which shipwrecked us in the 

 Koo-ray'-i-ka. As the ice broke up further north these Gulls left us, and we saw them no more 

 until we reached lat. 69°. Here a large colony frequented an island in the river, where several 

 parties of Russians and Ostyaks were fishing. This colony was almost entirely composed of 

 birds in immature plumage ; and there was nothing to lead us to suppose that any of them were 

 breeding. Between lat. 70^° and 71-|° we passed several breeding-stations of these birds, where 

 it was a very rare thing to see a Gull in immature plumage. I should have been too late to 

 secure fresh eggs of this species ; but fortunately I had chartered a Russian off Brek'-off-sky and 

 a Samoyede at Gol-cheek'-a to collect for me, and at each station I found a large basket of 

 unblown eggs. As might have been expected, they vary somewhat in size and colour, and are 

 not distinguishable from eggs of Larus fuscus and Larus argentatus. So far as it is possible to 

 compare the cries of birds from memory, I may confidently affirm that these do not vary from 

 those of Larus argentatus or Larus cachinnans." 



Mr. Seebohm has examined specimens of this Gull obtained by Von Middendorff on the 

 Boganida and Taimyr, near the North-east Cape. Kittlitz obtained it in Kamtchatka ; and it 

 occurs on passage in spring and autumn in the Caspian and the sea of Ochotsk. 



It is also said to be not uncommon at St. Michael's, in Alaska ; but I agree with Mr. Seebohm 

 that until we have evidence that it breeds in America, it can only be reckoned as an occasional 

 visitant there. 



In habits this Gull is said to agree closely with Larus argentatus and the Mediterranean 

 Herring-Gull ; and I have no data respecting its nidification beyond what I give above. 



I may here remark that Mr. Saunders considers that the Mediterranean Herring-Gull is the 

 Larus cachinnans of Pallas (Zoogr. Rosso-As. ii. p. 318, 1811), and that it should stand under 

 that name instead of Larus leucophceus ; but neither Lord Tweeddale (who worked out the 

 synonymy for me) nor I could make Pallas's description quite agree with that bird, and we 

 therefore decided to use the specific title of leucophceus instead of cachinnans. At the same 

 time I must add that, as Pallas states that his Larus cachinnans breeds on the Caspian, it is 

 not improbable that he may refer to the Mediterranean Herring-Gull. 



Brandt (I. c.) figured the Siberian Herring-Gull under the name of Larus borealis ; but I 

 cannot find that any letterpress or description was issued with the plate ; so that this name 



