69 



[Vol. xxxi. 



unanimous conclusion is that it is undoubtedly a specimen 

 of the pale Western race of the Lesser Black-backed Gull. 

 Consequently, that bird will have to bear the name of 



Larus fuscus affinis Reinhardt, 

 while L.f. britannicus Lowe becomes a synonym. 



" The bird, which is described in the f Catalogue of the 

 Birds in the British Museum/ vol. xxv. pp. 254-5 (1896), 

 under the name Larus affinis, must therefore be called 

 by some other name. The nomenclature of the genus Larus 

 is, however, in such a state of confusion that without a 

 monographic revision no conclusion on this point can be 

 arrived at. Meantime, it is necessary to have some name by 

 which the larger bird can be known, and I therefore propose 

 for it that of 



Larus fuscus antelius, nom. n. 

 (= Larus affinis Saunders (nec Reinhardt), Cat. Birds Brit. 

 Mus. vol. xxv. p. 255.) 



" Type in the British Museum : 7. ix. 76, Obi River. 

 0. Finsch coll/' 



Mr. D. A. Bannerman said that, as far as was at present 

 known, the form of Black-backed Gull found in the Canary 

 Islands was intermediate in colour between the two races 

 distinguished by Dr. Lowe, but, owing to the meagre 

 material from those islands, no definite conclusions could be 

 arrived at. He hoped that when he returned from his 

 forthcoming expedition to the Canary Islands he would be 

 able to throw more light on the question, by procuring a 

 series of this Gull in breeding-plumage ; he also hoped to 

 be able to find a breeding colony. 



Mr. Meade-Waldo said that he had shot a specimen of 

 the Lesser Black-backed Gull in the Canary Islands, in 

 which the back was very dark. It should be noted, how- 

 ever, that it was the only dark-backed bird he had obtained. 



Mr. Bannerman said that the specimen referred to by 

 Mr. Meade-Waldo agreed exactly with eastern dark-backed 



