GLAUCOUS GULL OR BURGOMASTER. 171 



inches. The eggs of this Gull are pale purplish-grey, with scattered spots 

 of umber-brown, and subdued lavender-purple." 



My figures were taken from specimens kindly presented to me by my 

 friend Captain James Clarke Ross, R. N. 



Larus glaucus, Bonap. Syn., p. 361. 



Larus glaccus, Burgomaster Gull, Swains, and Rich. F. Bor. Amer., vol. ii. p. 416. 



Glaucous Gull or Burgomaster, Nutt. Man., vol. ii. p. 306. 



Claccous Gull or Burgomaster, Larus glaucus, And. Orn. Biog., vol. v. p. 59. 



• 



Adult, 30; wing, 19^. 



Met with in Labrador in summer. Baffin's Bay and Arctic Seas gene- 

 rally. Not observed within the limits of the United States. 



Adult Male. 



Bill shorter than the head, stout, compressed, higher near the end than at 

 the base. Upper mandible with the dorsal line nearly straight for half its 

 length, declinate and arched towards the end, the ridge convex, the sides 

 very rapidly sloping and slightly convex, the edges sharp and somewhat 

 inflected, the tip rather obtuse. Nasal groove rather long and narrow; 

 nostrils in its fore part, lateral, longitudinal, linear-oblong, wider anteriorly, 

 pervious. Lower mandible with the angle long and narrow, the outline of 

 the crura decurved toward their junction, where there is a prominence, 

 beyond which the outline ascends and is slightly concave, the sides erect 

 and nearly flat, the edges sharp and a little inflected. 



Head large, ovato-oblong, narrowed anteriorly. Neck of moderate length, 

 strong. Body full. Feet of moderate length, rather slender; tibia bare for 

 three-quarters of an inch; tarsus somewhat compressed, covered anteriorly 

 with numerous much curved scutella, laterally with angular scales, behind 

 with numerous small rectangular scales; hind toe very small and elevated, 

 the fore toes of moderate length, slender, the fourth longer than the second, 

 the third longest, all scutellate above, and connected by reticulated entire 

 membranes, the lateral toes margined externally with a thick narrow mem- 

 brane. Claws small, slightly arched, depressed, rounded, that of the middle 

 toe with an expanded thin inner margin. 



The plumage is very full, close, elastic, soft, and blended, on the back 

 somewhat compact. Wings very long, rather broad, acute; the first quill 

 scarcely two-twelfths of an inch shorter than the second, which is longest, 

 the rest of the primaries rapidly graduated; secondaries broad and rounded. 

 Tail of moderate length, nearly even, being slightly rounded, of twelve 

 broad rounded feathers. 



Bill gamboge-yellow, with a carmine patch towards the end of the lower ] 



