BRITISH BIRDS. I 57 



United Kiuordom, but in winter is mostly found by the 

 sea. It breeds in the most retired spots it can find, laying 

 four eggs, which, like the birds themselves, differ immensely 

 in size and appearance. 



The food consists of insects, slugs, snails, marine creatures, 

 grass, berries, and the tender shoots of growing plants. In 

 France it is esteemed a rare delicacy for the table, but is 

 not held in much esteem in Britain, where the eggs, however, 

 are eaten. 



WeiMBREL. — Tins bird is also called the whaap, and is 

 closely allied to the preceding. It is very widely diffused, 

 visiting England in the winter months, thoucjh some re- 

 main to breed in the most desolate districts they can find, 

 where the eggs are laid on the bare ground, or amonof the 

 surrounding vegetation, with little or no attempt at nest- 

 making or concealment; they are four in number, of an 

 olive brown colour, spotted with brown of a darker shade. 

 Length of male, 1 foot 4 inches ; of female, 1 foot 6 inches. 

 Like the curlew, the bill of the whimbrel is long, with an 

 abrupt downward curve ; it is bluish grey in colour, with a 

 yellow spot at the base of the lower mandible. 



THE GULLS. 



The British species are fairly numerous, and will be 

 briefly described in the next few pages. 



Family — La rides. 



Genus — 1. Stcrcorarius. S. catarrJiactes. Skua. 



2. Rissa. R. tridactyla. Kittiwake. 



3. Lanis. L. glaucus. Glaucous Gull, 



L, argentatns. Herring Gull. 

 L. fuscits. Lesser Black- 



backed Gull. 



