68o THE BIRDS OF YORKSHIRE. 



following the farmers and taking toll of the worms and grubs 

 unearthed by the ploughshare ; while in the " Carrs " of East 

 Yorkshire, in wet seasons when much land is flooded, it is 

 frequently observed feeding on worms which have been 

 drowned by the flood water. 



A pair of Herring Gulls, kept in a garden at Redcar, nested 

 in the spring of 1905 ; the female laid one egg, which she 

 diligently sat for a month, but it proved to be infertile. 



Although this Gull is an omnivorous feeder, it is often 

 reduced to great straits in winter weather ; during the hard 

 and protracted frost in 1895 I procured one which disgorged 

 a starfish ; and in February 1906, I watched two or three of 

 these birds fighting for possession' of a thirteen-rayed starfish, 

 which was eventually eaten by the conquerer in the fight. 

 Mr. W. Eagle Clarke, when staying on the Eddystone Light- 

 house in October 1901, noticed this species feeding on seaweed. 



The disparity in size between different examples of the 

 Herring Gull seems almost calculated to make a specific 

 distinction between the extremes ; an immature bird shot 

 on 1st November 1900, at Redcar, measured 27I inches in 

 total length, the wing from carpal joint 18 inches, expanse 

 of wings 52 inches, tarsus 3 inches, middle-toe 3 inches ; at 

 first glance it looked like an immature Great Black-back, 

 the bill measuring 2f inches, and being quite as massive as 

 in that species, but on examination of the back several blue 

 feathers were found amongst the mottled grey plumage, 

 thus leaving no other conclusion than that it was an abnormally 

 large specimen of L. argentatus, and perhaps a third year's bird. 



Of Yorkshire varieties there is but one instance on record, 

 viz., a white immature example, shot at Filey on 26th Sep- 

 tember 1884, by Mr. J. Fountain ; the plumage, instead of 

 being speckled grey, as usual, was pure white. 



The only local name known to me is Blue-backed Gull, 

 which is used in the Cleveland district. 



