BLACK-HEADED AND COMMON GULLS 53 



of bluish and green, strongly blotched and streaked with dark 



colours, and giving the egg a very handsome appearance. It 



is pear-shaped. 

 Food. — Fish, especially sprats. 

 Voice. — Some notes are short, like a bark, others are laughter-like 



and clear, and still another is a hoarse, long-drawn, howling cry. 

 Chief Features. — Nests in large numbers, and is a very sociable bird. 



To see a large company on some rocky eminence is quite a 



feature of our British bird life. Easily distinguished by the 



black and white attire. 

 Plumage. — Head, neck, and upper parts blackish-brown; under 



parts white. Length. — Eighteen inches. 



GULL, BLACK-HEADED (Lams ridibundus) 



Local Names. — Blackcap, Brown Gull, Brown-Headed Gull, Crock. 

 Crocker, Hooded Maw, Hooded Mew, Laughing Gull, Masked 

 Gull, Mire Crow, Peewit Gull, Pickmire, Red-Legged Gull, 

 Red-Legs, Rickim-Re, Scoulton Gull, Sea Crow, Sea Gull. 



Haunt. — The sea and seashore, inland lakes and rivers, moors, 

 marshes, and fields. 



Nesting Period. — April and May. 



Site of Nest. — Edges of lakes, on an island, among boggy plants, etc. 

 Always on the ground. 



Materials Used. — Dead grass, sedge, etc. Little attempt is made 

 to build a nest. 



Eggs. — Three. These vary through various shades of light and 

 dark green, also blue, yellow, and brown; some varieties are 

 heavily marked with dark spots, and others only sparingly. 



Food. — Very fond of sprats, but picks off the sea various floating 

 matter, and also feeds largely on insects and their larvae. 



Voice. — Sometimes called Laughing Gull because of the curious 

 laughter-like notes. 



Chief Features. — Immediately identified by blackish-brown head in 

 Summer. Has many favourite nesting haunts in England, and 

 breeds in immense numbers. One of our commonest species. 



Plumage. — Red bill and feet; blackish-brown head and upper neck; 

 grey mantle; the rest of plumage white, with a tinge of pink 

 underneath. The blackish-brown head is missing in Winter. 

 Length. — Sixteen inches. 



GULL, COMMON [Larus canus) 



Local Names. — Blue Maa, Cob, Coddy Moddy (young), Grey Gull 

 (young), Marrot, Mew (immature), Phirgie, Sea Cob, Sea Gull 

 (all the Gulls often so called), Sea Mall, Sea Maw, Sea Mew 



