724 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



Alaska to north Greenland. Winters in more southern latitudes 

 from Europe to Bermudas and Texas, and about 12° south lat., 

 and even Peru. Not rare as visitor to Atlantic coasts of France, 

 casual in Holland, Denmark, Heligoland, Slesvig, west Germany, 

 Switzerland, and Austria-Hungary. 



Genus RHODOSTETHIA Macg. 



Rhodostethia Macgillivray, Man. Brit. Orn., n, p. 252 (1842 — Mono- 

 type R. rossi = rosea). 



In general much like Larus but tail cuneiform (wedge-shaped) 

 and pointed. Bill very small and slender, much shorter than head. 

 Wings very long and pointed. One species. 



RHODOSTETHIA ROSEA 



445. Rhodostethia rosea (Macgill.)— THE WEDGE-TAILED GULL. 



Larus roseus Macgillivray, Mem. Wernerian Soc, v, p. 249 (1824— loc. 

 not stated but descr. from specimen from Melville Peninsula). 

 Rhodostethia rosea Macgillivray, Yarrell, in, p. 579 ; Saunders, p. 659. 



Description". — Adult male and female. Winter. — Fore-head, crown, 

 back and sides of neck extending to sides of upper -breast rose-white, 

 tinged grey, tips of feathers being ash-grey, on each side of back of 

 neck a few feathers tipped grey-black ; feathers in front of and under 

 eye and a few over eye lightly tipped grey-black, giving mottled 

 appearance ; mantle, scapulars, back, and wing-coverts blue-grey ; 

 rump and upper tail-coverts white (sometimes tinged rose) ; under- 

 parts rose-white ; axillaries white ; under wing-coverts blue-grey ; 



tail-feathers white tinged rose 

 especially at base ; primaries 

 blue-grey, shafts grey, outer 

 web of outer (2nd) black except 

 at tip and extreme base, inner 

 webs and tips of inner feathers 

 white ; secondaries blue - grey 

 with long white tips, innermost 

 blue - grey as wing - coverts. 



The Wedge-tailed Gull (Rhodostethia rosea). Summer. Fore - head, Crown, 



Adult, summer. _ -i • -i r i 



back, and sides 01 neck, rump, 

 upper tail-coverts and under-parts rose-white, rose-colour being 

 strongest on breast and belly ; encircling neck a narrow ring 

 of black, feathers being tipped black ; (no black round eye) ; rest 

 of plumage as winter. N.B. — Very few adults and no moulting 

 ones examined. 



Nestling. — Covered with fairly long, soft down with fine silky 

 tips. Upper-parts buff, crown yellowish, closely spotted and 

 mottled with blackish, dusky line on each side of gape, black line 

 over eye and patch behind eye, a few black spots on throat ; chin 



