140 BIRDS. PALMIPIDES. Larus. 



** Quills black and xvhite. 



225. L. mar'mus. Black-backed Gull. — Length 30, breadth 

 70 inclies ; tarsus flesh coloured, 2j%th inches ; on the symphysis 

 of the lower jaw a red spot with a dark centre. 



L. maximus. Will. Orn. 261. Sibb. Scot. 20 L. mar. Linn. Syst. i. 225. 



Penn. Brit. Zool. ii. 528. Temm. Orn. ii. 760 — £, Cobb ; S, Gull 

 Maw ; W, Gwylangefn ddie; N. Swabie, Bawgie, Swarthback — Resi- 

 dent. 

 Bill 4 inches long, light yellow. Irides and orbits yellow. Head, neck, 

 rump, tail, and below wliite : back and wing-covers bluish-black. Quills black, 

 tipped and barred with white. Female similar. — Nest on inaccessible cliffs 

 and islands. Eggs olive-green, with dusky blotches. Young mottled brown 



and white This species is fond of carrion, and will even venture to destroy 



weak lambs. Generally solitary or in pairs. 



226. Li.Jicscus. Yellow-legged Gull. — Length 24, breadth 

 54 inches; tarsus yellow, 2/jjth inches long. Orange spot of 

 the symphysis destitute of the dark centre. 



Linn. Syst. i. 225 Var. of L. mar., Penn. Brit. Zool. iL 529 L. argen- 



tatus, or Lesser Black-backed Gull, Mont. Orn. Diet — L. fuscus, 

 Temm. Orn. ii. 767-— Resident. 

 Weight 2^ pounds. BUI, legs, and irides yellow ; orbits red. Head, neck, 

 rump, tail and below white ; back and wings bluish-black ; quills black, the 

 point of the first white, with a black tip ; the second similar, with only a white 

 spot in the black ; the others are very slightly tipped with white ; two or 

 three of the scapulars are also tipped with white. The wing exceeds the tail 

 by 2 inches. Female similar — Nest on islands, gregarious. Eggs 2, olive- 

 brown, with dusky blotches — Young mottled brown and white — This species 

 was first noticed as British by Pennant, who was uncertain whether it was a 

 variety of marinus, or a distinct species. INIontagu first illustrated its charac- 

 ters with precision. 



227. L. argentatus. Herring-Gull. — Length 24, breadth 

 56, tarsus flesh-coloured, 2 1 inches. Bill yellow; orange spot 

 on the symphysis destitute of the dark centre. 



Herring-Gull, Penn. Brit. Zool. ii. 535 — L. ar. Temm. Orn. ii. 764 — 



Resident. 

 Weight about 2 pounds. Irides yellow ; orbits red. Head, neck, rump, 

 tail and below white ; back and wings bluish-grey ; quills dusky, black towards 

 the ends, with a white spot. Wings a httie longer than the tail. Female si- 

 milar Nest on islands. Eggs 2, olive-brown, with dusky blotches. Young 



mottled brown and white. In this state it has been termed Wagel — This 

 species has frequently been confounded with the preceding. This seems to 

 be the case in the Larus cinereus maximus, Will. Orn. 262. I have found in 

 the stomach of this species a considerable quantity of wheat. 



2. Smaller Gulls, less than 20 inches in length. 



228. L. canus. Common Gull. — Length of the tarsus 2 



inches. Wings longer than the tail ; the two outer quills with 



black shafts. 



L. cinei-eus minor. Will. Orn. 262. Sibb. Scot. 20 — L. canus, Linn. Syst. 

 i. 224 — Penn. Brit. Zool. ii. 538. Temm. Orn. ii. 771 — Resident, 

 common. 



