110 EGGS OF BEITISH BIRDS. 



THE HERRING GULL. 

 {Larus argentatus.) 



Plate 33, Figs. 1, 2. 



The Herring Gull is commonly distributed round the British 

 coasts, and breeds in more or less abundance in suitable 

 localities. It is an Atlantic species, in the New World breeding 

 in British North America as far north as the Arctic circle. In 

 the Old AVorld its range is comparatively restricted, being confined 

 to North-west Europe. It breeds on both coasts of Scandinavia 

 as far east as the Varanger Fjord, and in many places on the 

 shores of the North Sea and the English Channel. 



The nests are often large bulky structures, made of tufts of 

 half-dry grass and masses of seaweed, and lined with fine grass 

 and a few straws or stalks of the sea-campion. Sometimes they 

 are very slight— mere hollows, scantily lined with dry grass. 

 The eggs of the Herring Gull are usually three in number, but 

 sometimes only two. The typical eggs of this Gull are indistin- 

 guishable in colour from eggs of the Common and Great Black- 

 backed Gulls, but many other varieties are found which do not 

 occur in either of those species. Some eggs are pale bluish-green 

 with only a few small brown specks upon them, whilst others, in 

 which the ground-colour is dark huffish-brown, are not very 

 uncommon. Occasionally the surface-spots are as large as a 

 sixpence. The eggs vary in length from 30 to 2 - 7 inches, and 

 in breadth from 21 to 19 inch. The eggs of this Gull should 

 be very carefully authenticated, otherwise they are of no value. 



THE LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL. 



(Larus fuse us.) 

 Plate 33, Figs. 4, 5. 



The Lesser Black-backed Gull is a resident in the British 

 Islands. During the breeding-season the distribution of the 

 adult birds is very local south of the Tyne. There are no breed- 

 ing-places on the east coast south of the Fame Islands, and none 

 on the south coast east of Devonshire. On the west coast this 

 Gull breeds in various localities in Wales, Devonshire, and Corn- 

 wall. In Ireland very few breeding-places are known. The 



