BLACK-HEADED GULL — COMMON GULL. 1G9 



procured, I have reason to believe that most of those observed 

 were o£ this species. They were seen on the 15th in the 

 Cherwell valley, above Banbury ; in large numbers in the 

 Evenlode valley, near Yarnton (W. W. Fowler) ; and flying- 

 up the Windrush valley at Burford ; one was picked up dead 

 at Woodstock, and another was observed and identified at 

 Kingham on the 1 8th, 



I am aware of but one instance of this species being- shot in 

 Oxon after it has assumed the characteristic brown-black head 

 which distinguishes it in its summer dress ; but four which 

 were shot, out of a flock of forty or fifty, in the Cherwell 

 valley, near Williamscote, on the 27th February, 1888, during 

 the severe wreath er and deep snow which prevailed that month, 

 Avere becoming dark about the head, and jNIr. W. W. Fowler 

 observed one in the Evenlode meadows at Kingham on the 

 1 8tli of the following March, which appeared to be consider- 

 ably advanced towards summer dress. 



THE COMMON GULL. ' - ^' 



Lams caniis. 



The Common Gull is a frequent visitor to the Thames dis- 

 trict between autumn and spring ; more rarely in summer. 

 It also often occurs in the north, and some other parts of the 

 county. The dry north-west, where the valleys are smaller, 

 naturally has less attractions for it, and, though Gulls are 

 sometimes seen flying over, and this species has been killed on 

 the iiplands above Fifield, they rarely seem to linger here. 

 In the wet weather of July, 1882, however, a pair of Common 

 Gulls stayed at least one whole day in the ' Yantle ' meadow 

 at Kingham, wading in the floods for food (W. W, Fowler, 

 MS.). 



Although Gulls are usually considered in the light of sea- 

 birds, they are in the habit of resorting in numbers to the 

 land to feed, especially in bad weather ; and I wish to point 

 out that the frequent visits paid to us by the present and allied 



