BLACK-HEADED GULL. 573 



June, 1841, dashing round some lofty elms catching cock- 

 chafers. The eggs are yellowish olive brown, spotted withy 

 two shades of darker brown ; the length two inches one 

 line and a half, by one inch and six lines in breadth. 

 When their nests are robbed, the birds are induced to lay 

 two or three times, and Mr. Hewitson mentions that the 

 eggs produced at these second and third layings are some- 

 times one-third less than the natural size. 



Mr. Thompson says this species is a constant resident in 

 Ireland. Mr. J. Macgillivray noticed that it was abundant 

 in summer on the marshes of some of the islands of 

 the Outer Hebrides. It was observed to be plentiful on 

 some of the reedy lochs of Sutherlandshire ; and a few 

 breed on the boggy parts of some of the islands of Orkney 

 and Shetland ; but Dr. Fleming mentions that these birds 

 leave Scotland in winter. This species breeds in Sweden, 

 in Russia, and in Siberia. It is included by several natu- 

 ralists among the birds of Germany. M. Temminck says 

 it is abundant in Holland at all seasons. It is common on 

 the French coast in winter, and a few of them breed near 

 the lakes and rivers of the interior. It visits Switzerland 

 in summer ; is not uncommon at Genoa ; is included by 

 M. Savi in his Birds of Italy ; and is common in Sicily, 

 but only in winter. The Zoological Society have received 

 specimens sent by Keith Abbott, Esq. from Erzeroum ; 

 and it is found both in Nepal and about Calcutta. 



The adult bird in summer has the beak vermilion red ; 

 irides hazel ; eyelids orange ; the head, occiput, and upper 

 part of the neck, all round, dark brown, the colour being 

 most intense when first assumed, and becoming lighter by 

 time and wear ; sides and back of the neck pure white ; 

 back, wing-coverts, secondaries, and tertials, uniform French 

 grey ; the first three quill -primaries white on the shafts 

 and webs, but margined with black ; the fourth white on 



