THE COMMOX GULL. 745 



but under primary-coverts tinged grey ; primaries : 2nd (outer) black 

 (base grey-black) with long (40-50 mm.), roughly oval, subterminal 

 white " mirror," extreme tip with small white spot (very rarely 

 white li mirror " extended to tip), 3rd same but base grey, subterminal 

 white " mirror " smaller and its shaft usually brown, slightly 

 larger spot of white at extreme tip, 4th with more grey at base, no 

 white " mirror " (very rarely a small " mirror " or a white subterminal 

 spot on inner web), white tip larger, 5th with about basal three-fourths 

 grey (shaft grey-brown), grey extending further towards tip on inner 

 web and shading to whitish near black tip, extreme tip white, 6th 

 same but black tip much restricted, 7th grey, tip white with a 

 subterminal narrow black band varying in width, often broken, 

 sometimes absent on outer and occasionally on both webs, rest of 

 primaries grey shading to white at tips but 8th occasionally with a 

 subtermmal brown-black mark ; secondaries blue-grey with long 

 white tips ; all wing-coverts blue-grey but feathers along edge and 

 bend of wing white. This plumage is acquired by complete moult 

 (commencing with inner primaries) June to Oct. Summer. — The 

 body-feathers but not whig- or tail-feathers nor wing-coverts are 

 moulted March to May. Plumage as winter but whole head, neck 

 and upper-mantle uniform white. X.B. — Frequently there is a 

 salmon-pink tinge on under-parts both in winter and summer but 

 this disappears hi dried skins. 



Nestling. — Closely covered with longish, soft down with fine 

 silky tips. Upper-parts pale buff to huffish-grey marked with spots 

 and blotches of black-brown much as in L. r. ridibundus but dark 

 markings browner, less prominent, narrower, smaller and more 

 broken, formhig no regular pattern ; under-parts buff, yellowish 

 or sometimes whitish in centre of breast but on throat, sides and 

 vent darker with dark brown base of down not completely con- 

 cealed. 



Juvenile. — Fore-head, lores, under eyes, ear-coverts, crown 

 and nape pale grey-brown streaked white, feathers having white 

 edges ; back of neck more uniform grey-brown, feathers narrowly 

 fringed grey-white (huffish when very young) and white bases not 

 completely concealed ; mantle and scapulars brown, feathers 

 margined huffish -white (buff when very young), long scapulars 

 buffish-grey with brown subtermmal centres ; back dull grey, 

 feathers tipped huffish and with subterminal brown mark of 

 varying strength ; rump and upper tail-coverts white tinged buff 

 with pale brown spots or marks of varying size ; chin, upper -throat, 

 centre of breast and belly uniform white ; lower -throat, breast, 

 sides, flanks, axillaries and under tail-coverts spotted and 

 mottled with brown ; under wing-coverts brown with varying 

 amount of whitish base of feathers showing ; tail white with a 

 broad black-brown subterminal band, reduced on outer feathers 

 and sometimes restricted to median streak on outermost, proximal 

 to band feathers freckled brown, tips white ; primaries : outer ones 

 black-brown, paler on inner webs and becoming dull grey on inner 



