613 



GAVIA MINUTA. THE LITTLE MEW. 



LITTLE GULL. 



" Lams minutus. Pallas. Reis. III. 702." 

 Lams minutus. Lath. Ind. Ornith. II. 813. 

 Little Gull. Mont. Omith. Diet. Supplt. 



Mouette pygniee. Larus minutus. Temm. Man. d'Ornith. II. 787. 

 Little Gull. Larus minutus. Selby, lUust. Brit. Ornith. II. 484. 

 Larus minutus. Jen. Brit. Vert. Anim. 271. 



Bill scarcely an inch in length, hlach; tarsus an inch long, 

 red ; hack and wings light hluish-grey, lower parts white ; 

 outer webs of outer primaries grey ; inside of wings blackish- 

 grey. In summer, the head and throat black, the hill tinged 

 with red, the feet vermilion. In lointer, the head white, its 

 hind part and the nape streaked with dusky, the hill black, the 

 feet purplish-pink. 



Not having seen more than three specimens of this 

 species, of none of which I have taken descriptions, I must 

 have recourse to the accounts of it given by various writers. 



Adult in Winter. — " Forehead, space between the eye 

 and the bill, a large spot behind the eyes, throat, all the other 

 lower parts and the tail, pure white ; occiput, nape, a spot 

 before the eyes and over the orifice of the ears, greyish- 

 black ; all the other upper parts pale bluish-grey ; all the 

 tail-feathers of that colour, terminated by a large pure white 

 space ; interior of the wings blackish ; bill and iris blackish- 

 brown ; feet of a very bright vermilion. Length ten inches 

 two lines ; the wings extend an inch beyond the end of the 

 tail." — Temminck. 



Mr. Thompson gives the following description of the 

 adult male shot near Belfast in December, 1847 : — " Length 



