116 NATURAL HISTORY IBirds. 



GENUS ZX/X— THE GULL-KIND. 



Gen. Char. — Bill strong, straight, but bending down at the point, on the under 

 part of the lower mandible an angular prominency ; nostrils oblong and nar- 

 row, placed in the middle of the bill ; tongue a little cloven ; body light ; 

 wings long ; legs small, and naked above the knees ; back toe small. 



Species 1. — The Great Black and White GulL 



Wil. Om. 344. Rail Syn. Av. 127. Larus marinus, Lin, Sys. 225. Brit. 

 Zool.^\6. Sib. Scot. 20. Ore. Blackbacked-Maw, Swartback. 



This is the largest of the gull-kind which is found in these 

 seas, or round the whole country. It continues here the whole 

 year ; builds on the insulated rocks round the shores, and 

 sometimes on the shelves. It is very ravenous, as much so 

 as an eagle, only it meddles not with lambs or poultry, but 

 for carrion and garbage none is more so. It beats away the 

 smaller gulls from any fish which may happen to be thrown 

 ashore, and seizes the whole prey to itself; but if it misses of 

 this, sits down contentedly to a piece of dead horse if it can 

 get it. 



In bulk it almost equals a goose ; the length, from the point 

 of the bill to the end of the tail, two feet three inches, but if 

 measured to the claws it is two feet five ; when the wings are 

 extended it is five feet three inches from tip to tip. The beak 

 of one I measured was something more than three inches 

 long, very strong, and much hooked at the point ; on the 



