BRITISH BIRDS. I 59 



in colour and marking. Length, 1 foot 3| inches. Food — 

 fish, shrimps, and other Crustacea. 



Glaucous Gull. — Face, throat, breast, and belly, flight 

 feathers and tail, white ; top of head, back of neck, back 

 and wing coverts very pale grey blue ; bill strong, thick, 

 and pointed, upper mandible white, lower pale orange, 

 darker towards tip. Legs and feet dull j'ellowish red. 

 Length, 2 feet 8 inches. Predatory birds, they feed on 

 fish and seaside ofFal, and also rob other gulls ; it usually 

 frequents the open sea, but in severe weather ventures in- 

 land. The eggs are bluish grey, ."^potted with brown and 

 purple, but vary considerablj'. Sometimes they are de- 

 posited on the beach above high-water mark, or on ledges 

 of rock ; the nest is made of sea-weed and sticks. 



Herring Gull. — Head, neck, breast, bell}^, and tail 

 white ; back and wings pale slate blue ; primaries black, 

 with a rounded white mark on the first, second, and third. 

 The bill is pale yellow, and the legs and feet are the same 

 colour. Length, 2 feet 1 inch. Makes a nest of grass and 

 sea-w^eed on ledges of rock and grassy spots along the side 

 of cliffs. They are very gregarious and resident. Flight 

 less graceful than that of the previous species, like which 

 it can be domesticated to a considerable extent. 



Lesser Black-Backed Gull. — White on head, neck, and 

 all lower parts, except under tail coverts, which are faintly 

 grey ; back and wings black, but the flights and some of 

 the wing coverts are tipped with white. Bill, legs, and 

 feet yellow, but the first a lighter shade. It associates 

 with the last species, which it resembles in its habits and 

 disposition. Length, 1 foot 11 inches. 



Common Gull. — Very much like the herring gull, save 

 that the bill is grey with a pale yellow tip, and the legs 

 and feet are lead colour. Length, 1 foot 6 inches. 



Greater Black-Backed Gull. — Like the lesser, but 



