198 BIRDS OF GUERNSEY. 



under wing-coverts of the Lesser Black-back are 

 much darker, nearly dull sooty black, and much 

 less margined and marked with pale wliitey brown 

 than those of the Herring Gull. The dark bands 

 on the end of the tail-feathers of the Lesser Black- 

 back are broader and darker than in the Herring 

 Gull : this seems especially apparent on the two 

 outer tail-feathers on each side ; besides this, there 

 is a slight difference in the colour of the legs, those 

 of the Lesser Black-back showing a slight indication 

 of the yellow of maturity. I have noted these 

 distinctions both from living specimens of both 

 species which I have kept, and noted their various 

 changes from time to time, and from skins of both : 

 unfortunately the two skins of the youngest birds I 

 have are not quite of the same age, one being that of 

 a young Herring Gull, killed at the Needles in August, 

 — the other a 3'oung Lesser Black-back, killed in 

 Guernsey in December ; but I do not think that this 

 difference of time from August to December, the birds 

 being of the same year, makes much difference in 

 the colour of the feathers ; at least this is my ex- 

 perience of live birds : it is not till the next moult 

 that more material distinctions begin to appear ; 

 after that there can be no doubt as to the species. 

 Tw^o young Herring Gulls which I have, and which 

 I saw in the flesh at Couch's shop just after they 

 had been shot, seem to me worthy of some notice 

 as showing the gradual change of plumage in the 



