SILVERY GULL. 303 



are also seen about the Caspian and Black Seas, and their 

 tributary streams. In the Middle and Northern States they 

 are common during winter, and extend their migrations at 

 this period as far south as Jamaica. They breed in the 

 milder parts of Europe, in the boreal regions of America; 

 and are said also to pass the summer on the islands off the 

 coast of South Carolina for the same purpose. They feed 

 chiefly on fish, both living and dead, on fry, carrion, and 

 rarely, on bivalve shell-fish. In a state of confinement they 

 exhibit considerable docility, and are observed to catch 

 beetles and other large coleopterous insects, which fly 

 abroad in the dusk of evening. They utter harsh and 

 piercing cries in the breeding season, and are very clamo- 

 rous when disturbed in their eyries. On an island off 

 St. David's in Wales they breed annually ; the nests, made 

 of a handful of long dry grass, are very numerous, formed 

 among the herbage and loose stones on the summit of the 

 island. The eggs, 2 in number, are of a dark or grey olive- 

 brown, with dusky blotches. 



The Silvery Gull is about 20 to 21 inches long. Winter plumage 

 qf the adults, with the summit of the head, region of the eyes, oc- 

 ciput, nape, and sides of the neck, white, but with all the feathers 

 marked in the centre with a longitudinal streak of pale brown. 

 Front, throat, all the other lower parts, back and tail of a pure white. 

 Top of the back, scapulars and the whole wing deep black, appear- 

 ing shaded with ash color. The quills almost entirely black; 

 towards the ends of the 2 exterior ones there is an oval white spot 

 terminating with black ; secondaries and scapulars also terminating 

 with white. Bill citron yellow : angle of the lower mandible lively 

 red. Naked border round the eyes red. Iris very pale yellow. 

 Feet fine yellow. — The female is less by an inch. 



The young to the age of 3 years. Those of the year have the throat 

 and fore part of the neck whitish, with longitudinal streaks of pale 

 brown. Neck and lower parts whitish, almost totally covered with 

 large and very deep brown spots Upper parts and all the feathers 

 of the wings blackish-brown in the middle, each bordered with a 



