GLAUCOUS GULL. 343 



This species is occasionally seen on the larger 

 broads ; and on the 6th January, 1881, Mr. Frank Nor- 

 gate shot an immature Larus marinus at Sparham, but 

 its appearance inland is by no means so frequent as that 

 of the lesser black-backed and herring gulls ; and Mr. 

 Rising believed that their presence on Horsey mere was 

 always indicative of approaching severe weather. 



Miss Anna Gurney, of NorthrejDps, in a paper con- 

 tributed to the " Mag. Nat. Hist." for 1830 (iii., p. 155), 

 on the " Natural History of the Neighbourhood of 

 Cromer," writing of gulls, says, " one which we had 

 young in the autumn of 1823, and which proved to be 

 the large black-backed gull, did not acquire his final 

 plumage till the summer of 1827; his bill turned from 

 black to yellow, but the scarlet spot was not perfect till 

 July, 1828. The next spring he died." 



Mr. Arthur Patterson tells me that he estimates the 

 relative proportionate numbers of the species of '* grey 

 gulls" on the Yarmouth coast as greater black-backed 

 ten, lesser black-backed four, and herring gull one. 

 My much less practical experience, although perhaps 

 more extensive as to area, would have led me to reverse 

 the proportions of the two latter species, but in the im- 

 mature plumage it would be presumptuous to speak with 

 any degree of confidence, and the relative numbers 

 certainly vary according to season and on different parts 

 of the coast. 



LARUS GLAUCUS, Fabricius. 



GLAUCOUS GULL. 



This fine gull is not unfrequent off the Norfolk coast 

 during the autumn and winter in immature plumage, 

 but in the adult state it must be considered rare. Occa- 

 sionally examples in full winter plumage have been met 

 with in the offing in considerable numbers ; but, as will 

 be seen, the very large majority of those procured are 

 young birds. 



