The initial scientific description of the form armenicus is from Lake Sevan, Armenia, by the hand of S.A. Buturlin. He published data on armenicus in 1934 as a short note in Ibis, the International Journal of Avian Science. This short note is copied on this site, below.

Short notes [1934] Ibis ser. 13 (4): 171-172.

Black on primaries at least as fully developed as in L. t.. antelius Iredale, but mantle silvery grey, much paler than palest specimens of L. t. taimyrensis But.: near “pale neutral grey” in (Ridgway, Nomencl. of Colours, ed. 1912, pl. liii.).

Breeds abundantly on lakes of Armenia — Gokcha, Abasgoel, Sevang, Ghilli, etc.

"Legs bright yellow; ring of eye-lids vermilion; bill horny yellow, with reddish spot near gonys" (notes from life by Count N. A. Bobrinskoi.)

Type.—Evidently male, June 1885, Lake Gokcha; collected by the Transcaucasian expedition of the 1. Soc. Friends of Nat. Hist. Anthr. and Ethnogr. no. 24, in Moscow University Museum, R.6015. Wing 443, between tips of shortest secondary and longest primary 235; tail 174; tarsus 69; toes with claws, middle 65, outer 59.5, inner 48.2; exposed culmen 51.2 ; bill along tomia 79.6, from fore end of nostrils 22.8; height at base 20, at near end of nostrils 17, at the angle of gonys 18.3 mm.

Mr. George V. Sosnin, of the State Museum of Armenia, was kind enough to send me for comparison 8 adult males, 4 ad. females, 3 females not quite mature, and 2 young birds, 17 specimens in all, collected mostly by himself in 1923, 1927, and 1928 between 5 June and 26 July on two neighbouring lakes, Sevang and Ghilli.

They are all extremely alike, and identical with the type-specimen. Dimensions of adult, 8 males: wing 420, 433-457, mean 440.3; tail 160, 170-184, mean 175.6; between ends of shortest and longest flight-feathers 225-245, mean 238; tarsus 60.8, 65.4-72.2, mean 67.8 ; middle toe with claw 57.9, 58.5-65,0, mean 61.5; exp. culmen 46.5, 49.2-55, mean 50.6; 4 females measure: wing 395-428, mean 407 ; tail 162-175, mean 168.5; between ends of shortest and longest flight-feather 220-235, mean 227; tarsus 60-65, mean 63; middle toe with claw 56.5-59.3, mean 57.9; exp. culmen 43.5-52.4, mean 46.23 mm.

Mantle is as pale as in L. cachinnans Pall. and in L. mongolicus Suschk., but the tint of the grey just a shade warmer; the wing, of course, of quite another pattern, as stated.

Young birds are like L. taimyrensis, but the basal half of the tail is much more white, less marbled with blackish.

S. A. BUTURLIN.