GREEN-BILLED GULL. 579 



usually three, sometimes two, are of a broadly ovate form, 

 olive-brown, yellowish-brown, oil-green, greenish-grey, or 

 greenish-white, irregularly dotted and spotted wdth dark- 

 brown and purplish-grey, the markings generally larger and 

 more numerous on those which have the ground-colour deep- 

 est. They vary in length from two inches and one-twelfth to 

 two-twelfths more, and have an average breadth of an inch 

 and a half. 



This species has a light buoyant flight, during which it 

 often inclines to either side. It walks and runs prettily with 

 short steps, pats the sands at the edge of the water with its 

 feet, emits a shrill somewhat harsh cry, and is apt to give 

 the alarm to other birds at the approach of the sportsman. 

 It is not however nearly so timid, or at least so sensible of 

 danger, as the larger Gulls, and either in the fields or on the 

 sea-shore, often allows a person to come within shot. Often 

 also, when one has been killed or wounded, its companions, 

 . after flying off, collect again, hover around, or even alight, 

 when some of them may often be obtained. When feeding 

 along with Hooks, in pasture ground, they are often found to 

 be less wary than these birds, especially in places where they 

 are not much liable to be molested. They never, I think, 

 molest any other bird, nor are they at all addicted to quarrel- 

 ling among themselves. Their food consists of small fishes, 

 such as sand-eels and young herrings, which they pick from 

 the water, first hovering with extended and elevated wings, 

 then descending, spreading their tail, and letting down their 

 feet, with which I have often seen them pat the water, as if 

 they were running on land. They never plunge so as to be 

 immersed, but merely seize on what comes close to the surface. 

 They also feed upon stranded fishes of large size, asteriaj, mol- 

 lusca, shrimps, and other small Crustacea. Sometimes also 

 they pick up grain in the fields, and in a state of domestica- 

 tion may be partly fed on bread. They are easily tamed ; but 

 unless in a garden, or where they are not liable to be teased, 

 they are seldom found to live long in this condition. 



Young. — The young, at first covered with down, of a 

 light grey colour, spotted with brown and black, remain in 



