144 GULL GROUP 



all the immature birds for colder latitudes. It is this species which in 

 winter ma\' be so often seen far inland in England on freshh' turned 

 arable lands. Its breeding-haunts in the British Islands appear to 

 be restricted to Ireland and Scotland and the Isles, inclusive of the 

 Hebrides, Orkneys, and Shetlands. Sanday Island, off Inverness-shire, is 

 a favourite resort ; and both in Scotland and Ireland the species nests 

 on inland lakes as well as on the coast. 



Eighteen and a half inches is the approximate length of the male 

 bird, the hen being about an inch less. In summer the head, neck, 

 tail, and tail-coverts, together with the lower surface of the body, are 

 white ; the back and wings pearl-grey, the outer primaries black, with a 

 laro-e white spot near the tip of the first and second, and occasionall\' 

 the third quill ; the beak is greenish yellow at the base, and yellow at 

 the tip ; and the eye golden brown, with a red rim to the c)'elid. 

 Young birds are brown with white or buff bars and margins to the 

 feathers, the lower-parts and under surface of the wings white mottled 

 with brown, and the primarx' quills and a broad band across the tail 

 dark brown. After the first moult a small white spot appears on the 

 first primary, which increases in size after the next moults, and is 

 accompanied by a similar spot on the second, and sometimes the 

 third quill ; at this age the beak is yellowish brown with a black tij). 

 The chick is greyish buff speckled with black. 



The habits of all the more typical gulls are so similar, and at 

 the same time so well known, that but few remarks in addition to the 

 general observations already recorded are called for in the case of any 

 of the species. The common gull appears, however, to be specially 

 fond of nesting on the shores of freshwater lakes, or on islands 

 contained therein ; and the nest, which is a rude structure of grass 

 or seaweed, is generally placed in the open, although occasionally on 

 a led"-e of a gently sloping cliff. The statement that nests ha\e been 

 found on precipitous cliffs appears to be erroneous ; but a boulder or 

 headland of rock projecting into a lake is a favourite site. Not 

 unfrequently the nests are in colonies. The young are hatched in 

 June. In some districts this gull is reported occasionally to save 

 itself the trouble of constructing a nest for itself, and to make use of 

 the deserted nursery of a crow or other large bird, even when placed 

 hif^h up in a tree — a situation in which the usurper will make itself 

 thoroughly at home, as it perches on boughs without difficulty or 

 di.scomfort. The eggs, of which there are three in a clutch, measure 

 from 2.15 to 2.65 inches in length, and have a ground-colour varying 

 from cream or olive-buff to olive-brown, with dark brown or blackish 



