Birds of Britain 



In summer the plumage, with the exception of the wings 

 a,nd mantle, is pure white. The mantle and most of the 

 wing feathers are delicate bluish grey, but the three outer 

 pairs of flight feathers are black with a white mirror towards 

 the tip. Bill greenish with yellowish tip, legs greenish 

 yellow. The sexes are alike, and in winter the head is 

 flecked with brown. The young in autumn may be dis- 

 tinguished by the black bar on the tail and brownish wing 

 coverts. Length about 17 in.; wing about 15 in. 



THE HERRING GULL 



Larus argentatus, J. F. Gmelin 



This is the commonest of all our Gulls, and may be 

 found abundantly throughout the year, round all our coasts. 

 It nests in colonies, usually on the ledges of precipitous 

 cliffs, although small low islets are occasionally resorted to. 

 The nest is composed of grass, seaweed, and other vegetable 

 debris, and the eggs, three in number, are greenish brown with 

 brown and grey markings, but they are not infrequently of 

 a uniform pale blue. Incubation is undertaken by both sexes. 

 The young as a rule remain in or near the nest till fully fledged, 

 but when the nest is low down near the shore they leave 

 it much sooner. The Herring Gull is practically omnivorous ; 

 fish, rats, Crustacea, and garbage thrown up by the tide are 

 all equally appreciated, and when nesting near colonies of 

 Guillemots and Cormorants it systematically hunts the ledges 

 and devours any uncovered eggs it can find. During the 



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