86n .VESTS AND EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



Sub-family — Larin^ : Gulls. 



656. — Lauus Nov.i; HOLLANDi.i;, Stephens. — (oi)? & 598) 

 L. gouldi, Bp. 

 L. lonyirostris, Masters. 



SILVER GULL. 



Figure.—GonM : Birds of Australia, fol., vol. vii., pi. 20. 



Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. xxv., p. 235. 



Previous Descriptions of Eggs. — Gould : Birds of Australia (1848) , 

 also Handbook, vol. ii., p. 38S (1S65) ; Legge : I'roc. Roy. 

 Soc, Tasmania, p. 131 (1888) ; Campbell : Victorian 

 Naturalist (i8Sg), also p. 183 (1894) ; North : Austn. Mus. Cat., 

 p. 352, pi. 20, fig. 4 {1889) ; Le Souef : Ibis, p. 421 (1895). 



Geoymplncal Distrihut ion .—'Ha-as of Australia iu general and Tas- 

 mania; also New Caledonia. 



Nest. — Not so substantially built as that of the Pacific Gull 

 (Guhianus ixtcificu^), but is somewhat frail, constructed of sea^weed of 

 various kinds, grass, &c, and measm-ing 6 or 7 inches across by about 

 1 inch deep. The nests are situated in colonies on some isolated rock 

 or bold headland. 



Eyys. — Clutch, two to three ; inclined to oval in shape ; textme of 

 shell coai-se ; surface glossy; colour, varies from light gTcyish-greeu to 

 olive, with markings of lunber or olive-brown and dull-gi-ey. The 

 maa'kings also vai'y considerably, some being of a. spotted natm-e, others 

 larger and blotched, while others again are short wavy lines. Dimensions 

 iu inches of selected pairs : A (1) 2-3 x 1-6, (2) 2-19 x 1-55 ; B (1) 2-18 x 

 1-43, (2) 2-16 X 1-43 ; C (1) 2-16 x 1-55, (2) 2-15 x 1-53. (Plate 25.) 



Observatiim-i. — To breed and rear its offspiing the Silver Gull con- 

 gregates in great numbers, and resoi^ts to solitary islands or bold, rocky 

 headlands. I have had many joyful experiences on " rookeries " of this 

 Sea Gull. My first adveutiu'e was on Cape WoUomai, Phillip Islaaid, 

 1884, where, on the steep declivities of that frowning headland, our 

 ])arty took many eggs. The nests were situated on ledges of rock, 

 dangerous to negotiate on account of the dizzy depths beneath, where 

 the ocean swell rolled in, dashing against the cliff, and extremely dis- 

 agreeable because of the pungent aroma arising from fresh guano, which 

 whitewashed the place everywhere. Mutton Bird cggcrs and other 

 nesters have so disturbed this once favourite locality tiiat only a few 

 Gulls resort there to breed now. 



On the west coast of King Island, November, 1887, large-.sized 

 " rookeries " were observed on Seagull Rock, in Currie Harbour, and on 

 a large, prominent rock near the mouth of the Etlerick River. Many 

 of the eggs were far incubated. However, wc obtained a few fresh 



