338 
LABIDiE. 
Length of bill to rictus 
ADULT. 
2 Of 
YOUNG. 
2 0 
„ of tarsus ..... 
1 
10 
1 
9 
„ of middle toe and nail 
1 
6 
1 
5 
„ of carpus to end of longest quill 
12 
6 
11 
3 
Wings pass the tail .... 
2 
0 
1 
8 
Weight of adult (a male) 11 oz. 
Weight of young (a female) 9 oz. 
ADULT. 
Bill bright red, except towards the tip, which is brownish-red. Legs and toes of 
a pale hue, partaking of orange and vermilion-red. Webs of a darker tint. 
TOUNG. 
Bill brownish-red for about the posterior half, from nostrils forward, blackish. 
Legs and toes of a very pale brownish-red, webs broccoli-brown. Mantle of a some- 
what paler hue than in the adult, as are the under sides of the wings also. Its sto- 
mach was nearly empty, but contained the remains of a large coleopterous insect. 
It should be stated that this difference in size between old and young is not neces- 
sarily consequent on age, but may rather be a sexual difference, the smaller bird being 
a female. — See note on young and old from Ram’s Island at p. 336. 
Thus in February, tbe bill and legs of the young bird were those of 
L. capisiratus. The same individual in the preceding month of August 
(like two which I examined on the 4th of that month) would have had 
the bill pale flesh-colour at the base, blackish-brown at the tip, the 
tibia, tarsus, toes, and webs of feet pale flesh-colour, the last with a 
slight dusky tinge in the centre. 
The preceding notes, together with a number of others of a simi- 
lar tendency, made on specimens obtained about Belfast, justify me 
I think in considering L. capistratus as specifically identical with L. 
ridibundus, and'this view is strengthened by the fact that the former 
is as yet unknown in any country except as an occasional visitant.* 
* May 20 th, 1845. Since the preceding was written, I have — through the kind 
attention of Mr. G-. R. Gray — examined in t he British Museum, the specimen of L. ca- 
pistratus that was so named by Temminck (Bullock’s specimen, purchased by Dr. 
Leach), and found it to be in 
in. 
lin. 
Length total (stuffed specimen) 
. 15 
0 
99 
from carpus to end of first quill 
. 11 
6 
99 
of bill from forehead to point . 
1 
2 
99 
of tarsus 
1 
n 
of middle toe and nail .... 
1 
4 
99 
of outer „ .... 
1 
4 
99 
of inner „ .... 
1 
1 
of hind „ .... 
0 
3 
No difference in plumage except in mask instead of hood. The feet are very small. 
A critical comparison of this bird with my specimens of L. ridibundus proved it 
