I he Gulls. 



20' 



Thk Great Bi.ack-backkd Gull. 



THE GREAT 

 BLACK-BACKED 



GULL. 

 {Lartis iiiiirinus.) 



This is the largest species of British Gull, and is easily 

 disliriijuished by its dimensions. The black back and white 

 head, as well as the large white tip to the first primary are also 

 characters by which it may be told, while the large size of the 

 bill and the len,L;th of the wing (exceeding nineteen inches) will 

 determine young birds in tlieir brown plumage from those of any other British species. 

 The Black-backed Gull breeds in certain parts of our southern and south-western 

 coasts, but is more common in Scotland and Ireland. It is a very powerful .bird, 

 and a great destroyer of the eggs and young of other species. The nest is generally 

 a rough structure of grass and Fea-weed on the summit of a bare rock on an islet, 

 but on the SmOlen Islands in North Norway I found one in the midst of the moss 

 and ling on the top ol a green islet, and in this case the nest was rather more 

 elaborately made. Eggs, two or three, measuring about three inches in length, of a 

 clay-brown or stone-colour, with spots of reddish-brown or black, and underlying 

 grev markings. 



