512 THE GULLS. 



The Herring Gull (Gra-Trut, or Grey-Trut, Sw. ; L. 

 argentatus, Briinn.) was exceedingly common in the neigh- 

 bouring Skargard, where it, for the most part, remained 

 during the winter ; its food at that time consisting chiefly, 

 M. von Wright tells us, of star- fishes, which it captures in 

 the shallows. With the exception of the south of Sweden, 

 where it is described as somewhat scarce, it is common 

 also on both the eastern and western coasts of Scandinavia. 

 M. Malm describes it as abundant on the shores of the Icy 

 Sea; and at times, he says, one meets with it, when mi- 

 grating, in the interior of the country. It is very abundant 

 in Denmark. On the island of Sylt, off the west coast of 

 Schleswig, we read that from thirty to forty thousand eggs, 

 which are in great repute for the table, are taken annually. 



The Hvit-Trut, or White-Trut (L. leucopterus, Faber). 

 This bird, as with the ivory gull, belongs properly to the high 

 north. Nilsson has reason to believe that it is found in the 

 eastern Skargard ; but the evidences he brings forward are 

 hardly sufficient, to my mind, to establish the fact. In one 

 or two instances it has been killed in Denmark. 



The Lesser Black-backed Gull (Sill-Mase, or Herring- 

 Gull, Sw. ; L. fuscus, Linn.) was common during the 

 summer months, as well in the vicinity of Ronnum, as in 

 the Skargard ; but few or none, by M. von Wright's account, 

 wintered there. It is also common on both coasts of Scan- 

 dinavia, more so, however, on the western than the eastern, 

 to far beyond the polar circle. It is found in Denmark, 

 though sparingly, and only during autumn and winter. 



The Swedish appellation of this bird is derived from the 

 circumstance of its always following the shoals of herrings, 

 thus serving to point out their whereabouts to the fishermen. 



