60 ALLEN'S NATURALIST'S LIBRARY. 



dusky-grey shade on the hinder part ; a small dusky spot in 

 front of the eye and another greyish spot behind the ear-coverts. 

 The white under parts have generally a distinct rosy-blush, 

 which is also seen on the white of the primaries. 



Young. Brown above, with sandy-brown edges to most of 

 the feathers, which are grey at the base ; the rump and upper 

 tail-coverts white, with sandy-coloured edgings; tail also white, 

 with a band of black at the end of all but the outermost 

 feathers ; lesser wing-coverts white or tinged with grey ; median 

 wing-coverts brown, like the inner secondaries, edged with 

 sandy buff; greater coverts pearly-grey; primaries as in the 

 adult, with tiny whity-brown tips, but with much more black on 

 both webs, the black approaching the shaft ; secondaries grey, 

 broadly tipped with white, and with a longitudinal black mark 

 towards the end of the outer web, decreasing in extent on the 

 inner secondaries ; head uniform brown, the hind-neck white, 

 flecked with brown like the sides of the face ; forehead and 

 eyebrows whitish ; feathers in front of the eye, and a large patch 

 on the ear-coverts, dusky-blackish ; throat and under surface of 

 body white ; fore-neck, chest, and sides of body washed with 

 sandy-brown; "bill dull yellow, passing into black at the angle; 

 tarsi and toes reddish-yellow" (Saunders.) 



Regarding the changes of this bird, Mr. Saunders says : 

 " More or less of a brown hood is assumed when the bird is 

 barely a year old, and the band on the tail is lost by the 

 following autumn, when the new primaries appear, with as 

 has been said a larger proportion of black than in the adult. 

 In fact, the duration of the immature phase is very short. The 

 bird does not breed until the following (or second) spring. 

 Occasionally the black from the margins of the inner webs of 

 the three outer quills runs in and reaches the shafts, much 

 encroaching upon the usual white centres, though not to the 

 same extent on both wings of the same bird." 



Characters. The dark brown hood of this species easily 

 distinguishes it when adult, and young birds can be told by the 

 broad black edging which compasses the inner web of the first 

 three primary quills. 



Range in Great Britain. This well-known species nests in 

 colonies in various places throughout the three kingdoms, and 



