THE HERRING GULL. 283 



Island, in the Bristol Channel), these two species, 

 in the south at least, are in the minority in point of 

 numbers, and the Lesser Black-backed Gull (L. 

 fuscus) is rare. Take a trip to Northumberland, 

 the Fame Islands, and Holy Island, and you will 

 find the case reversed. There the Kittiwake and 

 Lesser Black-backed Gull are very numerous, and 

 the Herring Gull is scarce. Farther north that 

 is, in Scotland we meet with the Common Gull 

 (L. canus) much more frequently than in England. 

 The only other resident species of Gull to be 

 mentioned is the Black-headed or Peewit Gull (L. 

 ridibundus). This bird, however, does not breed 

 in the cliffs as the others do, but makes its nest 

 inland on the ground, and differs materially from its 

 congeners both in haunts and habits. 



The appearance of certain Gulls when at a 

 distance is very deceptive. The Herring Gull, 

 Kittiwake, and Common Gull, are frequently 

 confounded, from the similarity of their plumage 

 and the difficulty in estimating their size, except 

 when near enough to be within shot. It requires a 

 good glass and a practised eye to identify them at 

 a long range. These three, in summer, all have 



