276 WHITE SEA-BIRDS. 



minatory ' Ha-ha-ha ! ' with which it swoops at or 

 sails up and down beside the intruder. The Herring 

 Gull swoops to snap up its food in its bill from 

 the surface of the sea, or wanders about the shore 

 at the tide-line picking up small marine-life or the 

 refuse of the tide ; or, again, it may be found at 

 times inland grubbing in ploughed lands. 



COMMON GULL— 18 inches. Breeds north of the Border. 

 In the gray and the wliite parts like the Herring Gull, 

 but much smaller; bill greenish-yellow, full yellow at 

 tip ; legs and feet greenish-yellow. 



KITTIWAKE— 15| inches. In the gray and tlie white parts 

 similar to Herring Gull, but much smaller; bill greenish- 

 yellow ; legs and feet black. 



LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL— 22 inches ; upper parts 

 slaty-black ; bill yellow, flecked with red at the bend ; 

 legs and feet yellow. 



BLACK-HEADED GULL— 16 inches; head blackish-brown 

 all over ; bill and legs red. 



LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL. — Plate 115. 



22 inches. Upper parts and wings black, the longest 

 flight-feathers having white spots near the tips ; head, 

 neck, and under parts, also rump and tail, white ; 

 bill yellow, splashed with red at the bend ; legs and 

 feet pale yellow. Winter : head and neck streaked 

 with brown. Young : mottled brown and white ; tail 

 with dark band at the end. Resident. 



Eggs. — 3, variable, olive- brown, red-brown, or 

 greenish stone-colour in the ground, spotted and 

 blotched with dark brown, red-brown, and gray ; 

 2-8 X 1-9 inches (plate 135). 



Nest. — Of dry grass, seaweed, and stalks of herbage 

 growing in the vicinity, placed on the ground. 



