WHITE SEA-BIRDS. 277 



The Lesser Black -Backed Gull is a breeder on 

 rocky headlands and islands around our coasts, 

 associating in large communities, sometimes unmixed, 

 at others partly composed of Herring Gulls. Like 

 the Herring Gull it places its nest on rocky ledges, 

 takes its food with its bill during flight from the 

 surface of the water, seeks it on the water-line at 

 ebb, or when following the plough on inland fields. 

 The ringing ' He-oh ! ' and the solemn, menacing 

 ' Ha-ha-ha ! ' are indistinguishable from the cries of 

 the Herring Gull. The Lesser Black-Backed Gull is 

 at all times the easiest to identify because of the even 

 black of the upper parts. The black of the back is 

 said to vary greatly, even approaching the gray of 

 the back of the Herring Gull ; but there are plenty of 

 a good black, and such nice distinctions may be left 

 until later, when the observer will probably learn 

 that light-backed birds are harder to find than to 

 identify. 



GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL— 30 inches ; plumage as 

 in the Lesser Black-Backed Gull, but a much larger bird, 

 with legs and feet flesh-colour. It breeds on rock-stacks 

 in Scotland, Ireland, and the west coast of England. 

 Habits as Lesser Black-Backed Gull. 



HERRING GULL — 23 inches ; upper parts gray ; legs and 

 feet flesh-colour. 



GREAT BLACK -BACKED GULL. — Form, like 

 the Lesser Black-Backed Gull (plate 115). Length, 

 30 inches. Plumage white; mantle slaty -black; 

 wing-feathers tipped with white ; bill yellow, reddish 

 at the angle ; legs and feet flesh-colour. Resident. 



