LITTLE GULL 437 



LITTLE GULL. 



Lants iiiinutiis, Pallas. Beise Buss. Beichs., iii., 

 App., p. 702 (1776). 



It appears from the records of the occurrences of the 

 Little Gull in Kent, that it may be more often met with 

 than is supposed. The bird, in its immature or winter 

 dress during autumn, may escape observation when 

 among Terns and the Black-headed Gull in winter 

 dress. 



Morris, in his History of British Birds, states that 

 "one was obtained at Sheerness into 1840." 



Writing on March 7, 1862, Mr. W. Oxenden Hammond 

 says : " Two Little Gulls were obtained for me on the 

 Kentish coast last month (April) ; one was a bird of the 

 first year, the other a very fine adult ; they had far 

 advanced towards the summer state of plumage." 



Mr. G. B. Ashmead writes, October 6, 1868: "From 

 amongst a lot of Gulls, &c., shot for me a little below 

 Gravesend, I have found a fine adult specimen of the 

 Little Gull in winter plumage. This comparatively 

 scarce species of Larus was observed in company with 

 the Common Tern." 



Mr. W. Prentis records having obtained one in Rain- 

 ham Marsh on " February 1, 1870, and in March he 

 observed another with a black head. On February 14, 

 1874, an adult Little Gull was shot at the mouth of 

 Milton Creek. On September 17, 1884, a young imma- 

 ture Little Gull was shot on the Medway, in mottled 

 plumage." 



In 1893, Mr. W. 0. Hammond writes : " On January 

 19 I received a Little Gull {Larus minutiis) from a 



