
II4 LAUGHING GULL. 
of its sight, and the other was a little impaired ; but, notwith- 
standing, it could, by incessantly diving, discover all the fish 
that was thrown into the pond. In defect of fish, it would 
eat flesh. 
“Tt is observable that the legs of this bird are so constructed 
and situated as to render it incapable of walking upon them. 
This is probably the case with all the divers, as well as the 
erebes. 
“When this bird quitted the water, it shoved its body along 
upon the ground, like a seal, by jerks, rubbing the breast 
against the ground, and it returned again to the water in a 
similar manner. In swimming and diving, only the legs are 
used, and not the wings, as in the guillemot and auk tribes ; 
and by their situation so far behind, and their little deviation 
from the line of the body, the bird is enabled to propel itself 
in the water with great velocity, in a straight line, as well as 
turn with astonishing quickness.” 
LAUGHING GULL.* (Larus atriciila.) 
PLATE LXXIV.—Fie. 4. 
Larus atricilla, Linn. Syst. ed. 10, tom. i. p. 136, 5.—Gmel. Syst. i. p. 600, 8.— 
Ind, Orn. p. 815, 4.—Laughing Gull, Catesby, i. pl. 89.—Lath. Gen. Syn. 
lil. p. 383, 12.—Arct. Zool. No. 454.—La Mouette Rieuse, Briss. vi. p. 192, 
13, pl. 18, fig. 1.—Mouette 4 capuchon plombé, Temm. Man. d’ Orn. p. 779.— 
Peale’s Museum, No. 3881. 
LARUS ATRICILLIA.—LInNNEzvSs. + 
Larus ridibundus, Ord. 1st edit. of Supp. p. 89.—Larus atricilla, Bonap. Synop. 
p. 309, 
LENGTH, seventeen inches; extent, three feet six inches; bill, 
thighs, legs, feet, sides of the mouth, and eyelids, dark blood 
* Named in the plate, black-headed gull. 
+ This gull is the only one figured by Wilson, though several are 
mentioned in his list, and, no doubt, had he survived to complete his 
great undertaking, many others would have been both added and 
figured. I have introduced a short description of those which have 

