File:The birds of Europe (1837) (14750412182).jpg

Identifier: birdsEuropeVGoul (find matches)
Title: The birds of Europe
Year: 1837 (1830s)
Authors: Gould, John, 1804-1881
Subjects: Pictorial works Birds
Publisher: London, Printed by R. and J.E. Taylor, pub. by the author
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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Text Appearing Before Image:
, and the orifice ofthe ears of a blackish ash; the back, scapularies, secondaries, and quills brown in the middle, bordered andterminated with yellowish brown ; the tail-feathers blackish ash with the exception of the outer ones, whichare tipped with white; beak brown, reddish at the base; feet flesh colour. According to M. Temmincks description the adults are subject to considerable seasonal changes ; for heinforms us that in winter the top of the head, the occiput, and all the under parts are pure white ; ablack spot is situated behind the eye; the back, rump, tail, and wings are of a clouded ash grey; the beakand feet deep lake red ; the irides black ; and that in spring the whole crown of the head is deep black, andthe under surface clouded with blackish ash, becoming lighter towards the throat, and leaving the sides ofthe face and ear-coverts pure white, whence it has received the appellation of moustache. The Plate represents a male of the natural size in its full spring dress.
Text Appearing After Image:
M0 v lO ft ^ Genus XEMA. Gen. Char. Beak short, slender, straight, laterally compressed, its tip bent down; the lowermandible somewhat angulated beneath. Nostrils very slender, linear. Legs slender; tibiaenaked on the lower part. Tail forked. LAUGHING GULL. Xema ridibundus, Boje. La Mouette riense ou a Capuchin bran. The characters which distinguish the genus Xema of Dr. Leach from the genus Larus, consist not only ina decided difference of form, but in certain points of colouring, and the changes which the species comprisedin it undergo at different seasons; for example, the bill and legs are bright red, and the head changes inspring from white to black or deep chocolate brown, which latter colouring is certainly confined to thebreeding-season, and disappears on the approach of autumn ; in addition to this we find that the young passthrough a very different gradation of plumage to that which obtains among the Gulls in general. Independentlyof these variations in the colouring, we may

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