LITTLE GULL. 227 



the Black-head ; I have seen the two flying near together. It 

 has been hkened to a tern, but there is nothing tern-hke in its 

 much less pointed wings. In the adult bird the primaries are 

 grey with white edges and tips ; the outer primary looks white 

 in flight, and the pale upper surface of the wing throws up the 

 smoky under surface, as the bird loiters through the air, for 

 it has a peculiarly hesitating, desultory flight. Its slightly 

 forked tail is also noticeable when expanded, as it checks its 

 speed or turns to snatch at a flying insect. Insects, even so 

 small as gnats, form a considerable proportion of its food, 

 though it catches small fish. Its call, said to be sharp and 

 harsh, I have not heard ; it is not a noisy bird in winter. 



In nuptial dress the Little Gull has the whole head, including 

 the nape, black ; the back and wings are very pale grey, and 

 the rest of the plumage is white. There is a rosy tinge on the 

 abdomen, a character which is often present in other small 

 gulls during life, but fades at once on a skin. The bill is dark 

 red, the legs are vermilion, and the irides brown. In winter 

 all that remains of the black head is a few streaks on the nape ; 

 the legs and bill are duller. In first plumage the crown, nape, 

 cheeks, and back are brown, streaked and mottled, and the back 

 is mottled with buff, white, and grey ; the primaries are sooty 

 except on the inner edge, and the under wing is white. Later 

 the crown is flecked with grey and the ear-coverts and a line 

 round the eye are blackish, there is a half-collar of grey and 

 a sooty bar on the wing. As the bird advances towards 

 maturity the back becomes purer grey, and the central tail 

 feathers white, leaving a few half- bars on the outer tail feathers, 

 a remnant of the original band. In a second-year bird examined 

 the bill was still black, but the legs were yellowish red. 

 Length, ii ins. Wing, 8-5 ins. Tarsus, i in. 



