254 ON THE DIFFERENT SPECIES OF 
Country. — Coasts of New Holland. 
Distinctive Char act ers.-^lilus species, although one of 
three that are equally black or purple backed, is easily dis- 
tinguished by the remarkable depth and gibbosity of the 
beak, as well as by the dark band across the tail. 
Synonyms. — Larus leucomelas^ Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 
P. ii. p. 760, note. — L. marinus, Latham, Ind. Orn. 
ii. p. 813. — Black-backed Gull, Lath. Gen, Syn. vi. 
p. 371 : it being in all probability the species which 
Parkinson mentions in his Journal, as occurring up- 
on the coast of New Holland ; and which Latham, 
being unacquainted with the L. hathyrinchus, as above 
characterised, naturally supposed to be the following 
species. Parkinson's words are, a large black and 
white Gull, with a bright yellow beak, on the gibbous 
part of which was a spot of scarlet ; the corners of its 
mouth and irides of the eyes were of a bright scarlet 
colour, the legs and feet a greenish yellow.^' Parkin- 
son's Journal, p. 145. 
Remarks. — The above description is taken from a spe- 
cimen in the Museum of the University of Edinburgh, and 
agrees in all essential respects with that given by Tem- 
MiNCK, from a specimen in his own possession. It may 
not be amiss to subjoin the character as given by himself 
" Larus leucomelas, Vieill. Beak very strong, short, sud- 
denly bulging toward the end ; nostrils ovoidal ; the whole 
plumage of a pure white ; mantle and wing black ; the 
tail white, having toward the extremity a broad band of a 
deep-black colour ; primary quills all black ; beak yellow, 
point reddish ; feet yellow ; length of the tarsus S inches. 
Total length S3 inches." Man. d'Ornith. p. 760, note. 
