Oedee GAYIiE.] 
[Fam. LAEIDJE. 
LAETJS BULLEEI. 
(BLACK-BILLED GULL.) 
Qavia 2 )omare, Bruch, J. f. Orn. 1855, p. 285 (not G. pomarre of 1853). 
BrucMgavia melanorhyncha, Buller, Ibis, 1869, p. 43. 
Larus {Bnichigavia) melanorhyncJms, Finsch, tom. cit. p. 381. 
Larus hulleri, Hutton, Cat. Birds of N. Z. 1871, p. 41. 
Larus bulleri, Potts, Ibis, 1872, p. 38. 
Native name . — Tarapunga. 
Ad. suprk dilutissime cinercus : pileo cum collo postico et interscapulio, dorso postico uropvgio et corpore subtus 
toto, albis : plaga nucbali indistincta bruune^ ; tectricibus alarum dorso coucoloribus, exterioribus et aM 
spuria pure albis : remigibus dilutissime cinereis dorso coucoloribus, apicem versus albis, primariis albis, 
pogoniis ambobus et apice pennarum plus minusve late nigro marginatis, hdc albo terminate : eauda omninb 
alba : rostro nigro : pedibus nigricauti-brunneis : iride argenteo-alba. 
Juv. dorso et scapularibus obscure brunneo notatis, plumis albo terminatis subterminaliter grisescenti-brunneo 
fasciatis : tectricibus alarum medianis grisescenti-brunncis albido marginatis : sccundariis intimis medialiter 
distincte brunneo lavatis. 
Adult. General plumage pure white; baek, scapulars, and upper surfaee of wings delicate ash-grey; breast 
and sides of the body suffused with a beautiful rosy blush, which fades after death, or entirely disappears. 
The primary quills are white, eecentrically varied with black ; the first primary is narrowly margined on its 
outer and marked diagonally on its inner web, and tipped with black ; on the next the black increases, and 
forms a broad subterminal bar, which enlarges on the two succeeding ones, and decreases on the fifth ; the 
sixth is ashy, with merely a suhterminal interrupted bar of black. Irides silvery white; hill black, 
sometimes tinged with red towards the hase; legs and feet blackish brown. Total length 15 inches ; extent 
of wings 35 ; wing, from flexure, 11'75 ; tail 4‘5 ; hill, along the ridge 1’5, along the edge of lower 
mandible 2; hare tibia '75 ; tarsus 1'5 ; middle toe and claw 1‘5 ; hind toe and claw '3. 
Young. Has the plumage of the hack and mantle and the scapulars obscurely spotted with hrown, each feather 
having a white tip bounded below by an irregular spot of greyish brown ; the first two primaries black, 
with a longitudinal oar-shaped white mark covering both webs, the rest of the primaries white in their 
basal portion, then black, and with minute terminal spots of white ; the median wing-coverts greyish brown 
with a whitish margin ; the long inner secondaries largely marked in their central portion with greyish 
brown. In some examples there is a wash of brown on the crown. Bill black in its terminal portion, 
reddish brown towards the base ; legs and feet dull reddish brown. 
Ohs. The extent of the black markings on the primaries is very variable ; and in some examples the first quill 
is largely tipped with black. There appears to be a seasonal change in the colour of the bill and legs, the 
former becoming dull yellow, stained at the tips with brown, and the tarsi and toes changing to pale orange- 
red, with darker webs and black claws. 
The Black-billed Gull was originally described by myself, as already cited, under the name of 
