larinæ

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. A subfamily of Laridæ, having the bill more or less strongly epignathous, with continuous covering, and the tail usually square and of moderate length; the gulls. Some of the smaller species closely resemble terns, but the hooking of the bill is usually distinctive. The Larinæ are cosmopolitan, abounding on most sea-coasts and large inland waters. They are noisy voracious birds, subsisting chiefly on fish. The number of species is variously reckoned at from 50 to 75. The leading genera are Larus, Pagophila, Rissa, Chroïcocephalus, Rhodostethia, and Xema. See gull.