ICELAND GULL. 
/9 
Eggs. — Three in number. There is nothing very distinctive 
about the colour or markings of the eggs, which look like 
larger editions of those of the Lesser black-backed Gull. 
Some examples are very sparsely marked, and have the spots 
few and far between, or else have a large blotch of black near 
the large end of the egg. Axis, 2-95 3-05 inches; diam., 
2'o-2-i5. To the red variety of the Herring-Gull’s egg, figured 
by Seebohm as the egg of the Glaucous Gull, I have already 
alluded {sufra, p. 73). 
XI. THE ICELAND GULL. LARUS LEUCOrTERUS. 
Larus leucop/erus, Faber, Prodr. Isl. Orn. p. 91 (1822); Macgill. 
Brit. B. V. p. 566 (1852); Dresser, B. Eur. viii. p. 439, 
pi. 606 (1876); B. O. U. List Brit. B. p. 1S8 (1883); 
Saunders, ed. Yarrell’s Brit. B. iii. p. 642 (1884); See- 
bohm, tlist. Brit. B. iii. p. 333 (1885); Saunders, Man. 
Brit. B. p. 665 (1889) ; Lilford, Col. Fig. Brit. B. jiart xxvi. 
(1893); Saunders, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxv. p. 295 (1896). 
Adult Male. — Similar to L. hyperhoreiis, but smaller, with pro- 
portionately longer wings ; back delicate pearly-grey, with white 
ends to the secondaries and scapulars ; primaries pearly-grey, 
white at the ends and along the inner webs ; rump, upper tail- 
coverts, and tail white ; head and neck all round, as well as the 
entire under parts, ]iure white. Total length, 2 3 ‘5 inches ; 
culmen, I'p; wing, 16-5 ; tail, 6'6 ; tarsus, 2'4. 
Adult Female.- -Similar to the male, but smaller. 
Young. — Like that of L. hyperboreus, and having the under 
surface light ashy-brown, with very pale brown mottlings on 
the iqipcr surface. The size is, however, smaller. 
Characters. — Like Z. hyperboreus, the present species has white 
quills, but is distinguished from the latter bird by its smaller 
size. Mr. Saunders observes (Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxv. p. 297) : 
— “ On the wing Z. leucopterus has a much more buoyant flight 
than Z. glancus, and the length of wing, in proportion to its 
comparatively small bulk, is very noticeable; but prepared and 
over-stuffed skins sometimes offer difficulties. Still, in spite of 
its longer wing in proportion to its bulk, the largest male 
Z. leucopferus does not attain to the length of wing found in 
the smallest Z. glaucus." 
