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Show 274 MR. R. SWINHOE ON A NEW CHINESE GULL. [Mar. 21, I have long supposed that the common Chinese River-Gull was referable to Chroicocephalus kittlitzi of Bruch, from the fact of its having been so identified by a well-known authority on Birds. Prof. Schlegel did not agree with this identification, and has referred it to L. schimperi, Bp., of New Zealand. I have thus been led to turn to Dr. Bruch's " Monograph of the Genus Larus," published in the * Journal fiir Ornithologie,' 1853 ; and there I find that the C. kittlitzii, Bruch (p. 104), is founded on the drawing of a bird from South Chili, preserved at St. Petersburg. The description of this species by no means answers to our bird, nor does that of G. schimperi, Bp., the bills of both being " fine red." I cannot, therefore, but consider our bird an undescribed species, and have much pleasure in dedicating it to Mr. Howard Saunders, who is making a special study of the Larid_e. Our bird is remarkable for having a high black bill at all stages of plumage and at all seasons. (1) Adult 6 , with hood (shot 23rd of February, 1858). Bill and eyelids black ; inside of mouth vermilion. Legs tile-red, with black claws. Irides black. Entire head to nape bronzed black, with an incomplete white eye-ring. Broad collar, upper tail-coverts, tail, underparts, and axillaries near the edge of wing pure white (no rosiness). Mantle, wing-coverts, and tertiaries pearl-grey. Outer quill white, edged with black for nearly half its basal length, and with the inner web marked obliquely with black on its basal half, leaving a white border to the shaft, which expands forwards ; second quill with the oblique black advancing nearer the tip, and a black band on the inner web near the tip; third and fourth with greater part of the inner web black, a black band near the tip, and a slight black edging to the outer web ; the fifth and following feathers are light grey, the fifth having a black border to its inner web and a half band near its tip, the sixth only a partial black edging to the inner web. Outer edge of wing white. Axillaries and under wing-coverts light grey. (2) Adult cS (shot 19th of November, 1867). Without hood, but a few black feathers still remaining on the head. Bill and eyelid black ; irides deep brown. Legs deep tile-red. Length 13*5 inches ; wing 10*75, reaching 2*25 beyond tail. Bare tibia *8, tarse 1'7 ; middle toe 1*15, its claw *25. Bill, forehead to tip 1*1, lower mandible to gape 1*7; depth of bill at angle of gonys '4. Tail of twelve feathers, nearly equal, the two centrals and the outer one *2 longer than the rest; length of tail 4*5. (3) Adult 2> without hood (shot 26th of January, 1857). Bill and irides black. Inside of mouth vermilion. Legs dark indian-red; claws black. Head white, with a little dark grey on the occiput, a black edge to the fore part of the eyelids, and a black spot on the ear. The second to fifth primaries with a black band near the white tip. Otherwise as in (1). Length 13; wing 11*5, expanse 33 inches. (4) Bird not fully mature (shot December 1867). A few brown feathers of immaturity still remain on the shoulders and among the tertiaries. The occiput is deeper grey, the white collar is tinged with the grey of the back, the tail is slightly tipped with brown, and |
