BRITAIN^S BIRDS AND THEIR NESTS. 35 



In point of size the Common Gull comes midway 

 between the Herring Gull and the Black-headed Gull, 

 and as regards plumage resembles the former, but the 

 colouring of the legs and beak is different. 



The Common Gull does not nest on cliffs, but fre- 

 quently resorts to the less precipitous parts of the 

 Scottish coast, and haunts similar to those of the 

 Common Tern are sometimes chosen. Inland it nests on 

 the shores and islets of Highland lochs and in marshes, 

 after the manner of its black-headed cousin, but sometimes 

 on open hillsides. Under favourable conditions it forms 

 colonies. At no time is it a typical sea-bird, and it gene- 

 rally comes to shore on the approach of rough weather. 

 This is doubtless the origin of its German name ' Storm 

 GuU.' It seems a pity that some such appellation should 

 not be substituted for its misleading English name. It 

 is not as if this name had any wide popular hold ; on 

 the contrary, if used at all, except by ornithologists, it 

 is generally misapplied. 



The nest is a clumsy heap of herbage, heather, sea- 

 weed, or similar materials, according to locality. The 

 nesting and other habits are similar to those of the 

 Herring Gull, except in the particulars mentioned, and 

 the eggs are also like those of that species, but scarcely 

 exceed those of the Black-headed Gull in size. 



THE LESSER BLACK=BACKED GULL 



(Larus fuscus). 



Plate 12. 



The Lesser Black-backed Gull is just a little smaller 

 than the Herring Gull, and differs from it chiefly in the 

 bluish-black mantle and the yellow legs. In the various 



