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 COMMON GULL. 



LAEUS CANUS (h). 



Description. — Length 17 inches. 

 Bill yellow toward the tip and gray 

 green at the base. Legs green with a 

 reddish tinge. 



Mantle pale blue-grey. Eest of 

 plumage white with the exception of 

 the primaries which are black with 

 patches of white on both webs and 

 the third to the sixth quill have white 

 tips. 



In winter, the head and neck are 

 streaked with brown. 



Adult birds are distinguished by the 

 entirely white tail. 



Yowig birds have the bill black near 

 the tip and reddish brown at the base. 

 The head is streaked with brown in 

 the first year, but in the summer of 

 second year both the head and neck 

 become white. In the first year, the 

 breast is mottled with brownish and 

 the back is brownish grey, each 

 feather bordered with grey. For the 

 first two years, the tail has a dark 

 brown terminal band for about one 

 third of its length. 



Distribution. — Europe, Asia, and 

 Africa. 



Common along the coast during the 

 winter, but it nests further north. 



BLACK-TAILED GULL. 



LARUS CRASSIROSTRIS (viEILL.) 

 [Larus melanurus (T. & S.)] 



Description. — Length 17 inches. This 

 Gull closely resembles the Common 

 Gull (L. canus), but is distinguished by 



