THE COMMON GULL, 123 



of sticks, seaweed, and grass, and is a somewhat large one, 

 in comparison with the size of the bird. The eggs are but 

 two or three in number, of a dark olive-brown, blotched 

 and spotted with black and dai;ker brown. 



The young differ materially from the aged birds, the 

 plumage altering with age. The head and neck of the bird 

 of the year is dull white, mottled with greyish-brown ; the 

 wings and back are brownish-ash colour, mottled By the 

 feathers being edged with a paler bi-own, whilst a few 

 bluish-grey feathers may sometimes be found upon the 

 back ; the longer feathers of the wing are brown ; the tail 

 is white, the feathers having* the outer half brown ; the 

 chin and throat are white ; the breast and under parts are 

 also white, much mottled with light ash-brown. At this 

 period they are often termed " Grey Gulls. ^' By succes- 

 sive moultings, however, this plumage materially alters, 

 the bird depicted in the plate being a partially-moulted 

 one, showing some of the young feathers upon the shoulders, 

 which would, however, vanish with age, until the jilumage 

 of the bird becomes a beautiful bluish-grey and white. In 

 winter, however, the head and the sides of the neck, which 

 are white in summer, become spotted with dusky ash-brown. 

 In consequence of these many varieties of plumage, Com- 

 mon Gulls are somewhat lilvc the coffee-plant, and may be 

 seen at the same season in all these various featherings, for 

 they generally feed together, their call-note (which sounds 

 like " squeal ") being the signal for them to gather, and 

 generally to fight over the possession of any food that 

 attracts them. Their food is principally fish and offal, 

 or any garbage that may be found floating upon the sea. 

 When they Jly injand, which is often at a considerable 

 hei g ht, their food is generally worms, grubs, and slugs, 



