2282 PL O VERS, SA ND PIPERS, SNIPE, JA CA NA S, G ULLS 



It is likewise characterized by its small dove-like beak; while the delicate pink hue 

 of its plumage is also a striking feature, although one shared by some other mem- 

 bers of the subfamily. Formerly rare in collections, this gull has more recently 

 been obtained abundantly off Point Barron; but its true polar haunts appear to be as 

 yet undiscovered, although it has been seen in summer in Boothia Felix and Franz- 

 Josef Land. 



Represented by nearly half a hundred species, the typical gulls of 



the genus Larus differ from both the preceding by the squared tail, 



while they are further characterized by the full development of the first or hind- 



BLACK-HEADED GUI,!,. 

 (One-fourth natural size.) 



toe. The genus includes both the largest and the smallest representatives of the 

 subfamily; and while some species assume a dark head in the breeding season, 

 others lose all trace of dark tints in this region when adult. The smallest of the 

 dark-headed species visiting the British Islands is the little gull (L. minutus), easily 

 recognized by its diminutive size, and, when in flight, by the slaty black under 

 surface of the wings. A straggler to Southern Norway, this gull is common in the 

 Mediterranean countries, ranging eastward to the Caucasus, and thence northward 

 across Siberia to the Lena. Nesting in colonies in the vicinity of Lake Ladoga, 



