LITTLE GULL. 563 



of his Ornithological Dictionary, from a young bird in the 

 plumage of the first year that was shot on the Thames 

 near Chelsea, and then in the possession of Mr. Plasted of 

 that place, at the sale of whose collection it passed into the 

 possession of Mr. Leadbeater. Mr. Bullock's celebrated 

 collection contained two specimens in 1819, which were 

 then considered very rare. Since that time various speci- 

 mens have occurred in different states of plumage. Mr. 

 Selby has noticed one killed in the Frith of Clyde. Dr. 

 Neill obtained a specimen from the Sol way, in the autumn 

 of 1824, which was presented by him to the Edinburgh 

 Museum. An adult bird, in summer plumage, when it 

 has a fine black head, was shot in Ireland on the river 

 Shannon, as recorded by Wm. Thompson, Esq. ; the only 

 specimen obtained in the British Islands in that state of 

 plumage that I am aware of. This species has also been 

 killed on the shores of Cornwall and Devonshire, but 

 occurs more frequently on the eastern coast. I have 

 referred to one killed on the Thames. Dr. Waring gave 

 Mr. Leadbeater a beautiful adult specimen in winter 

 plumage, that was shot at the mouth of a small river in 

 Essex. The late Mr. Hoy obtained one on the Suffolk 

 coast in 1832 ; and Mr. Fuller of Lowestoff, obtained a 

 specimen in that vicinity. It has been met with at Yar- 

 mouth in Norfolk. Mr. Hawkridge, of Scarborough, shot 

 a young bird there in November, 1836, and obligingly 

 allowed me the use of it for this work ; the figure and 

 description of the young bird of the year here given were 

 taken from that specimen. Mr. A. Hancock, of New- 

 castle, has noticed one killed in September, 1835, at the 

 mouth of the Tyne, and it has also been taken in Scot- 

 land. 



On the 24th of December, 1844, a specimen of the 

 Little Gull in the plumage of its first winter was obtained 



o o 2 



