T5LACK-HEADED GULL. 437 



tliircl layings are sometimes one tliird less than the natural 

 size. 



Mr. Thompson says this species is a constant resident in 

 Ireland. Mr. J. Macgillivray noticed that it was abundant 

 in summer on the marshes of some of the islands of the outer 

 Hebrides. It was observed to be plentiful on some of the 

 reedy lochs of Sutherland shire ; and a few breed on the 

 boggy parts of some of the islands of Orkney and Shetland ; 

 but Dr. Fleming mentions that these birds leave Scotland in 

 winter. This species breeds in Sweden, in Russia, and in 

 Siberia. It is included by several naturalists among the 

 birds of Germany. M. Temminck says it is abundant in 

 Holland at all seasons. It is common on the French coast 

 in winter, and a few of them breed near the lakes and rivers 

 of the interior. It visits Switzerland in summer ; is not un- 

 common at Genoa; is included by M. Savi in his Birds of 

 Italy ; and the Zoological Society have received specimens 

 sent by Keith Abbott, Esq. from Erzeroom. 



The adult bird in summer has the beak vermilion red ; 

 irides hazel ; eyelids orange ; the head, occiput, and upper 

 part of the neck all round dark brown, the colour being most 

 intense when first assumed, and becoming lighter by time 

 and wear ; sides and back of the neck pure white ; back, 

 wing-coverts, secondaries, and tertials, uniform French grey ; 

 the first three quill-primaries white on the shafts and webs, 

 but margined Avith black ; the fourth white on the outer 

 web, grey on the inner web, and edged with black ; the fifth 

 and sixth grey on both webs, the edge of the inner or broader 

 web and the point black ; tail-coverts and tail-feathers white; 

 front of the neck, the breast, and all the under surface of the 

 body and tail pure white ; legs and feet like the beak, ver- 

 milion red. 



The whole length sixteen inches ; from the front of the 

 wing to the end of the first quill-feathcr, which is the longest, 



