BIRDS. 169 



appeared on the Severn, in an exhausted condition. One 



was shot at Kinnerley, April iath, 1898. 

 Little Tern. A much smaller species and occurs less 

 5. minuta, frequently than the two preceding 



May Sept. Terns. One was shot near Alberbury, 



May 3rd, 1898. 



Sabine's Gull. A specimen of this small fork-tailed Gull 



Xema Sabmi. was found dead at Nobold, in the 



autumn of 1874; an( ^ a ma l e j in full 



plumage, was shot at Sandford, near Oswestry, Sept. 8th, 



1893, an d is now in the possession of Alan Bright, Esq., 



Liverpool. 



Little Gull. The smallest of the true Gulls; has been 

 Larus minutus. obtained at Coalbrookdale, and in 1874 



Oct. Mar. one was shot, out of three, at Atcham. 



BLACK-HEADED GULL. Not infrequent during the 



L. ridibundus. winter months. The dark-brown (not 



black) head is only seen when the bird 



is in breeding plumage. Of two obtained near Shrewsbury, 



in March 1898, one was in summer, the other in winter 



plumage. This bird breeds on marshy flats, and there is 



a colony established at Pale, Corwen, many miles from 



the sea. 



COMMON GULL. The name of this Gull is misleading 

 L. canus. as it is less common than the Herring 



Gull, Lesser black-backed Gull, and 

 other species. It occurs in Shropshire from time to time, 

 especially on the Severn near Cressage generally im- 

 mature birds in autumn. One was found dead at Bolas, 

 Feb. ist, 1890. Most of the Gulls when young have more 

 or less mottled plumage and are then not easy to identify. 



