132 SPRING 



along the south coast. On the steep face of the South 

 Foreland, near Dover, these large and beautiful gulls may 

 be seen sitting and preening their feathers among the grass 

 and rock plants from a very early date in spring, though 

 they do not actually nest until the end of April or beginning 

 of May. As the weeks go on, they separate more ex- 

 clusively into pairs, and haunt the particular shelf where 

 presently they will begin to pull together grass and the 

 dry leaves of the plants about them for their large rough 

 nests. Adult herring gulls are easy to distinguish in any 

 assemblage of their kind by their large size and light grey 

 backs. The same general pattern of clear grey and white 

 is worn by several smaller species ; but the only other 

 common species of gull of anything near the herring gull's 

 size are the greater and lesser black-backed gulls, which 

 are easily distinguishable by their much darker plumage. 

 The lesser black-backed gull has bred once or twice in 

 recent years on the beaches of Dungeness, but this is quite 

 exceptional. Under the protection of the Acts, most kinds 

 of sea-birds are increasing very rapidly, and in many cases 

 forming fresh colonies ; and it seems that the lesser black- 

 back is pushing eastwards. Even in Devon and Cornwall 

 it was until lately a scarce and local species compared with 

 the herring gull ; but for some time it has steadily been 

 growing commoner, though it is still far outnumbered. 



The lesser black-backed gull is actually rather smaller 

 than the herring gull, and the great black-backed gull con- 

 siderably larger. When seen singly it is often hard to 

 estimate the sizes of birds, especially at an uncertain 

 distance ; and frequently it is easier to identify the two 

 black - backed gulls by the colour of their dark cloak. 

 Neither is absolutely black ; but the great black-back is 

 very nearly so, at any rate as seen from some little distance, 



