220 
LAUGHING GULL. 
of a fine blue asli colour ; the first five primaries are black to- 
wards their extremities ; the secondaries are tipt largely with 
feet sub-terminal bar on the tail, point it out as a young bird, most probably commencing its 
second spring. The rest of its plumage corresponds with that of L. zonorhynchus, except 
that it wants the extreme white tips of the quill feathers, which, on the third and following 
ones, are very conspicuous in L. zonorhynchus. It differs, however, remarkably, in its bill 
being shorter, though considerably stouter, than that of our L. canus ; and, like it, it is wax 
yellow, with a bright yellow rictus and point. Its tarsus is nearly one third shorter than 
that of JL. zonorhynchus. Many may be disposed to consider this and the preceding as merely 
local varieties of L. canus j and it might be urged, in support of this opinion, that there are 
considerable differences in the length and thickness of the bills of individuals of the com- 
mon and winter gulls killed on the English coasts, which are all usually referred to L. canus. 
We have judged it advisable, however, to call the attention of ornithologists to these American 
birds, by giving them specific names, leaving it to future observation to determine whether 
they ought to retain the rank of species, or be considered as mere varieties.” — Richard. 
In this place must be introduced the genus Lestris, or Skua, of which only- 
one species was enumerated by Wilson in his list — the Z. cataractes, Illiger — 
the common Skua gull of British ornithologists. The Prince of Musignano 
mentions, in addition, the now well-known European and British species, Z. 
parasiticus and pomarinus, another somewhat allied, hut not yet well distin- 
guished, Z. Buffonii, Boje ; and a fifth species is described as new in the Northern 
Zoology, and is dedicated to Dr Richardson — Z. Richardsonii. It seems closely 
allied to Z. Buffonii, but the distinctions yet want clearness and confirmation. 
It was found breeding in considerable numbers in the barren grounds, at a dis- 
tance from the coast. The following are Bonaparte’s characters of Z. Buffonii, 
by which it is alone known. 
“ Lestris Buffonii, Boj6. Bill, one inch and a quarter from the front, straight, notched ; 
middle tail feathers, gradually tapering, narrow for several inches, ending in a point ; tarsus, 
one inch and a half long, almost smooth.— Adult, brown j neck, and beneath, white, the 
former tinged with yellow.— Young, wholly brownish. 
“ Arctic bird, Edw. pi. 148; Buff. PL EnL 762. Lestris crepidata, Brehm.”— Bonap. Syn. 
No. 306. 
And I add the observations of Mr Swainson regarding Z. Richardsonii : — 
“ Richardson’s jager, whole plumage, brown; two middle tail-feathers, abruptly acu- 
minated ; tarsi, black, twenty-two lines long. ^ 
“ This specimen appears to us to be in full and mature plumage ; we cannot, therefore, 
view it as the young, or even as the female, of the Lestris Buffonii of Boje, which we only 
know from the characters assigned to it by the Prince of Musignano. According to this ac- 
count, the L. Buffonii has the bill an inch and a quarter long from the front; ours is only an 
inch : the tarsi are described as almost smooth, whereas in ours they are particularly rough. 
The adult, as figured in plate 762 of the PL Enl. has the chin, throat, and sides of the neck 
quite white ; but, in our bird, these parts are of the same pure and decided tint as that of 
the body, except that the ear feathers, and a few lower down the neck, have a slight tinge of 
ochre.* The tarsi also, in both the plates cited by the Prince, are coloured yellow. These 
differences, with the more important one exhibited in the feet, Avill not permit us to join 
these birds under one name. Another distinction, which must not be overlooked, is in the 
colour of the feet, Edwards expressly says of his ‘Arctic Bird,’ (pi. 149, which much more 
resembles ours than that figured on the plate immediately preceding,) that ‘the legs and toes 
are all yellow;’ whereas, in our bird, these members are of a deep and shining black; 
* The pure colour or uniform tint of the lower parts \vill not stand as characters ; in our 
native species they vary constantly.— Ed. 
