575 



SABINE'S GULL. 



LARUS SABINI. 



Head and neck dai'k grey, terminating in a narrow black collar ; lower part of 

 the neck all tlTe under parts, and tail, white ; upper plumage grey; wmgs 

 bhcraml wWte, knger than ke tail ; bUl yellow, black at the base ; mdes 

 Sirk ; o bi s ve^ili^n ; feet black. Youn, Urds and adult specmiens m 

 SnfpV want the dark head. Length thirteen inches. Eggs olive, blotched 



winter want the dark head, 

 with brown. 



This bird takes its name from Captain Sabine, who ac- 

 companied the Arctic expedition of 1818, and observed 

 considerable numbers of this species of Gull associating 

 with Arctic Terns on a group of rocky islands on the 

 west coast of Greenland. A very few specimens have 

 since been shot on the shores of the British Isles, all m 

 autumn ; from which it may be inferred that this bird 

 travels southward to spend its winter. It lays its eggs, 

 three in number, on the bare rock ; and feeds on marine 

 insects cast on shore. 



THE LITTLE GULL. 



LARUS MINUTU9. 



S«mm.r-Head and neck black; lower part of ^^'\''''^'^±^fJ^''J''^^^^^ 

 plumage, white; upper plumage pale ash-grey; primaries white at the end 

 bill reddish br^w^y irides dark; legs vermilion. ^^inUr-Yorehe.d fvoi^ 

 and sides of the neck white ; nape and cheeks white, streaked with grejash 

 black. Length rather more than eleven inches. 



This, the smallest of the Gulls, is a rare visitor to the 

 British coast, and is nowhere known to be abundant. It 

 is said to be remarkably active and graceful in its move- 

 ments through the air, and to associate with Terns. Its 

 food consists of marine insects and small fish. Its breed- 

 ing place and eggs are unknown. 



