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On the occurrence of Larus minutus in perfect plumage, 

 at Bridlington. — Bi/ Arthur Strickland, Esq. 



After giving a description of the characters presented by a 

 specimen of the Little Gull, shot at Bridlington, (July or August, 

 1847,) in mature plumage, and which coincides pretty nearly 

 with the account to be found of this species in Mr. Yarrell's 

 " History of British Birds," the author observes, " The procuring 

 any of the Blackheaded Gulls in perfect plumage will always 

 be a rare occurrence, unless in the immediate vicinity of their 

 breeding place. The common Black headed Gull breeds 

 abundantly at Hornsea, only 13 miles distant from this place, 

 (Bridlington,) and yet it is a difficult matter to procure ex- 

 amples shot here, in perfect plumage, and can only be done 

 during the few weeks of the breeding season. During that 

 time, Bridlington seems to be beyond their usual range, and to 

 calculate with anything like certainty on obtaining specimens, 

 it is necessary to go several miles nearer Hornsea. I believe 

 that even before these birds quit their breeding place, the 

 feathers of the head begin to change, and by the time they are 

 dispersed over the country, their plumage has certainly lost its 

 perfect character. 



" No Ornithologist appears to have detected the breeding 

 haunt of the Larus minutus, and until we can attain a know- 

 ledge of this, it will always be a rare accident that puts us in 

 possession of specimens in mature plumage. Since the Little 

 Gull has been better known to collectors, it has been not 

 unfrequently killed here. Five or six have been obtained 

 this year, and nearly as many last. They occur in two states 

 of plumage. Old birds have the head white, spotted with 

 black, and the rest of the plumage in mature condition ; young 

 birds have a black bar on the tail, the wings much marked with 

 black, and the quills black with little or no white at the ends. 



" There seems to be a singular alternation of the colours of the 

 wings of this species in the change from young to adult. The 

 young bird has the outer part of the quills black and the inner 



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