152 BIRDS OF TASMANIA. 



dark umber and grey. Dimensions in mm. of odd examples: — 

 (1) 35 X 24.5, (2) 36 x 25. 



Breeding Season. — November to January. 



Geographical Distribution. — Seas of Tasmania, Australia, and 

 New Zealand. 



Observations. — So far as I am aware, this species is a some- 

 what rare bird round our coast, its home being chiefly in sub- 

 tropical and New Zealand waters. 



Of its general habits the late Sir W. Buller wrote : — " It is very 

 active in its movements, flies high, turns in the air with facility, 

 and dips into the water after its prey in a very adroit manner. Its 

 note is a harsh scream. During the breeding season it is very 

 clamorous, especially when its nesting ground is invaded, or even 

 approached." 



Sub- Family — Larinas. 



^SILVER GULL 

 [Larus novce-hollandice, Steph.) 



Male. — Head, neck, tail, and under surface white; back and 

 secondaries pearl-grey; first and second primaries, basal three- 

 quarters black, then a long white patch on the inner web, and 

 subterminal black patch and a narrow tip of white; third priixiary, 

 greater part of inner web black, then as first and second quills; 

 fourth and fifth quills, large subterminal black patch and a 

 narrow white tip ; under tail coverts grey ; bill crimson-lake ; iris 

 silver- white ; eyelid coral-red ; legs and feet lake-red. Dimensions 

 m mm. : — Length, 410; bill, 35; wing, 304; tail, 124; tarsus, 50. 



Female. — Similar to male. 



Young. — INIottled with brown on the back and wings; tail with 

 subterminal band of brown; iris brown. 



Immature. — Very little grey on back. 



Nestling. — Heavily mottled with brown on the upper surface ; 

 under surface M'hite. 



Nest. — Somewhat flimsy, and constructed of grass, sea-weed, 

 and sometimes of different kinds of vegetable debris. It is placed 

 in a colony, either on a bold headland or an isolated rock. 



Eggs. — Clutch two to three. In a majority of cases they are 

 inclined to oval in shape ; texture of shell coarse ; surface glossy ; 

 the ground colour varies from light greyish-green to olive; the 

 markings vary very considerably in number, size, and shape, 

 ranging from small spots to blotches or wavy lines ; in colour they 

 are umber, olive-brown, and dull grey. Dimensions in mm. of a 

 full clutch :— (1) 53 x 40, (2) 52 x 39, (3) 55 x 40. A clutch of two 

 laid b}' a pair of birds in semi-captivit}' are distinctly pyriform in 

 shape ; the ground colour of one is bluish, sparingly spotted except 

 round the stouter end with the usual colours ; the other is light 



