422 NORTHERN ZOOLOGY. 



[187.] 7. Larus brachyrhynchus. (Richards.) Short-billed Mew-Gull. 



Genus, Larus, Linn. 



Ch. Sp. Larus brachyrhynchus, rostro abbreviate crassiusculo, tarso vix bi-unciali, remigibus apice concoloribus ; 



spatio albo cluorum exteriorum abbreviato : rachidibus nigrescentibus. 

 Sp. Ch. Short-billed Mew-Gull, with a short, thickish bill ; a tarsus scarcely two inches long ; quills not 



tipped with white ; a short white space on the two exterior ones, and blackish-shafts. 



Our specimen of this Gull is a female, killed on the 23rd of May, 1826, at 

 Great Bear Lake. Some brown markings on the tertiaries, primary coverts, 

 and bastard wing, with an imperfect sub-terminal bar on the tail, point it out 

 as a young bird, most probably commencing its second spring. The rest of its 

 plumage corresponds with that of L. zonorhynchus, except that it wants the 

 extreme white tips of the quill feathers, which on the third and following ones are 

 very conspicuous in L. zonorhynchus. It differs, however, remarkably in its bill 

 being shorter, though considerably stouter than that of our L. canus, and, like it, 

 it is wax-yellow, with a bright yellow rictus and point. Its tarsus is nearly one- 

 third shorter than that of L. zonorhynchus. — Many may be disposed to consider 

 this and the two preceding Gulls as merely local varieties of L. canus; and it 

 might be urged, in support of this opinion, that there are considerable differ- 

 ences in the length and thickness of the bills of individuals of the common and 

 winter Gulls killed on the English coasts, which are all usually referred to L. 

 canus. We have judged it advisable, however, to call the attention of ornitho- 

 logists to these American birds, by giving them specific names, leaving it to 

 future observation to determine whether they ought to retain the rank of species 

 or be considered as mere varieties. 



Dimensions. 

 Of & female, killed in lat. 65°, May 23. 



Inch. Lin. Inch. Lin. Inch. Lin. 



Length, total . . 19 Length of bill to rictus . 2 Length of inner toe . . ] 2 



,, of tail ..59 ,, of tarsus . . 1 11 ,, of hind toe . .0 2 



„ of wing . 13 6 ,, of middle toe 1 &i ,, of its nail . .02 



„ of bill above .13 „ of middle nail . 4 



— R. 



