Order LABIFOBMES 
No. 150. 
Family LABI DM. 
BRUCHIGAVIA NOV^E-HOLLANDI^ ETHELJE. 
SOUTHERN SILVER GULL. 
Larus nov^-hollandi.® ETHELS Mathews, Austral Av. Rec., Vol. I., p. 30, 1912 ; 
Kangaroo Island. 
? Xema jamesonii Sturt, Narr. Exp. Centr. Austr., App., p. 58, 1840. 
? Larus novce-hoUandice Lyons, Emu, Vol. I., p. 135, 1902 ; Hall, ib., Vol. IX., p. 132, 1910, 
Distribution. South Australia. 
Adult. In primary-coloration quite unlike L. n. gunni, its nearest geographical neigh- 
bour, but more hke L. n. novce-hollandice, than which it is larger ; comparable 
with L. n. longirostris than which it has a shorter bill, and the third primary always 
with a mirror in adult birds. Iris white ; feet coral-red ; bill coral-red. Wing 
317 mm., culmen 39, tarsus 52. 
Adult female. Similar. 
Immature. Agreeing with juv. L. n. longirostris in having elongate narrow mirrors on 
the first two primaries, in which feature they both disagree from the young of 
L. n. gouldi. 
Nest. Neat httle round structures formed of pieces of grass and water-weed placed 
round and forming a httle hollow cup about 2| inches deep and 6 inches 
across ” (MeUor.) 
Eggs. Clutch, three ; similar to those of the former species. 
Breeding-season. September (Mellor). 
Captain S. A. White, who collected the type of this species, sends me 
the following notes : “I have found these birds breeding in great numbers 
and at other times in small colonies of five or six pairs. They harrass other 
sea birds when breeding, and are continually on the watch to pounce down 
on their eggs and will soon devour them.” 
Mr. J. W. Mellor says : “ Very common in South Australia. They are 
much admired as garden pets. Have found them breeding in their natural 
habitats in a number of situations ; they like to build in colonies. 
“ They are to be seen on the shore scavenging for any bits of scraps or 
dead fish thrown up by the water, and left dry by the receding tide, which 
here goes out for a mile and a half, leaving a broad sandy flat, which would 
doubtless be covered with waders if visited at the right time of the year.” 
Mr. Mellor goes on to say that when he visited the island of the Coorong 
on September 20th to 25th, 1911 : “ These birds were nesting in several of 
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