THE GENUS LARUS. 
261 
Wings about 2 inches longer than the tail. Total length 
9,S inches, extent 46 inches. Back and wings deep brownish- 
purple, with a tinge of ash-grey. Four first primaries 
brownish-black, this colour extending, but diminished in 
extent, to the sixth or seventh ; shafts corresponding with 
the colour of the webs ; a white spot near the end of the 
first ; the rest of the primaries tinged with grey ; the whole 
with more or less white on the tip, sometimes obsolete on 
the first and second, and very narrow on the next three ; 
secondaries, and some of the scapularies, white at the end ; 
the rest of the plumage pure white; a few longitudinal 
short streaks of very pale brown on the head and back of 
the neck. 
Adult, Summer Plumage. — The same as in winter, only 
that the brown streaks have disappeared. Temm. 
Note. — The greater part of the quills are often truncate, 
with the shaft exserted, in which case the white tip of the 
primaries is reduced to a mere line. Most authors, and 
with the rest Temminck, Latham, and Montagu, de- 
scribe a spot of white near the end of the first and second 
quills. In the specimens which I have seen, it was only 
the first that had this spot. 
Nidification. — Nest composed of withered plants, and 
placed in situations similar to those chosen by the preced- 
ing species; according to Temminck on the sands also, or 
on sand-banks. Eggs two or three, brownish-grey, spot- 
ted with black ; according to Montagu, they are so like 
those of the L. argenteus as not to be distinguishable ; that 
is, dark olive-brown, with dusky blotches. The young, 
according to Montagu, are covered with brown down, mot- 
tled with dusky. 
