SILVER GULL. 
Stephen’s work appears to have been overlooked about his own time, 
and consequently Wilson described Larus jmnesonii thus : — 
Larus jamesonii Wilson, Illmtr. Zool., pi. XXIII., 1831. 
Description. — 1st. Dimensions. From the tip of the upper mandible to the frontal 
feathers 1^^ inch. From the same to the anterior angle of the eye, 2^q inches. Length 
of wing when closed from the anterior angle of the shoulder to the tip of the first primary, 
12 inches. From the tip of the upper mandible to the end of the tail, 1 foot 2^ inches. 
Length of line drawn from the tip of the bill through the eye to the back part of the head, 
inches. Depth of the bill measured at the notch of the under mandible, four tenths 
and a half. Length of the tarsus, 2 inches ; of the middle toe and claw, 1^ inch. Length 
of wings beyond the tail If inch. 
2dly. Colours. Head, neck, breast, whole imder parts of the body and upper and 
under surface of the tail, pure white. Back, scapulars, and greater and lesser wing-coverts, 
and secondary quill-feathers, pale cinereous blue or pearl-grey colour. Lateral edge of the 
wings and spurious wing feathers white. First primary quiU-feather black, with the 
exception of an irregular lengthened transverse band of white, which, embracing the shaft 
for about two inches of its length, terminates within an inch of the extremity of the feather, 
which is black, tipped with an obscure speck of white. Second primary like the first, with 
an additional lengthened spot of white spreading from the base of its outer web. In the 
three succeeding primaries, the basal spot of white increases, so as at last to occupy almost 
the entire portion of the outer webs, the inner being cinereous blue, margined with black ; 
the extremities black, passing upwards into the cinereous blue of the inner web ; the tips 
white. The sixth primary is cinereous blue, paler on the outer web, barred with black 
near the extremity, and tipped with white. The seventh primary is cinereous blue, with 
an obscure black margin on the inner web. The remaining primaries are cinereous blue, 
scarcely distinguishable from the secondary quill-feathers. The bill, legs and feet are bright 
carmine-red, with a tinge of orange. The claws are brownish-black. Colour of the irides 
unknown. 
This Gull was brought to Leith by one of the Australian ships from the shores of Nev/ 
Holland. I am unable to indicate its locality with greater precision. 
In the Descr. Aniin., ed. Licht., p. 106, 1844, appeared Forster’s description 
of his Larus scopulinus, here reproduced : — 
Larus albus, dorso cano, remigibus sex primis apice nigris pimctoque terminali albo. 
Habitat ad scopulos quos mare alluit, in insula austral! Novae Zeelandiae, et imprimis 
in Portu obscure ; natal, piscatur pisces gregatim aestuaria intrantes pro generandis et 
pariendis ovis. 
Corpus magnitudine Golumhae domesticae. Rostrum rubrum, apice fuscum. Oculi 
iride flavescente. 
Caput, collum, pectus, abdomen, crissum, uropgium, rectrices Candida. 
Dorsum ab origine interscapuli, et remiges cinereae. Sex primorum prima tota 
nigra, ante apicem macula et puncto terminali albis ; secunda basi, macula ante apicem, 
punctoque terminal! albis ; tertia et quarta ultra medium albae, intus cinerascentes, 
caeterum nigrae, punctoque maiori terminali albo. 
Pedes tetradactyli rubri, digito postico unguiculato 
imgues nigri. 
Mbnsurae. 
varietas. \ 
Ab apice rostri in extremitatem caudae 
14 unc. 
15^ unc. 
,, ,, ,, in unguem digit! medii 
141 
m 
Alae expansae 
.34 
34 
Rostrum ad angulum faucis 
2i 
Pedes nudi in unguem digiti medii ... 
41 
H 
Unguis medius 
S 
••• 10 
s 
VOL. n. 
453 
