GULL. NATATORES. LARUS. 485 



The Little Gull is a native of the eastern parts of Europe, 

 being a common and abundant species in Russia, Finland, 

 the shores of the Caspian Sea, &c., and extends its range to 

 Siberia, where it breeds. It frequents the lakes and rivers 

 of the interior, as well as the sea-coast, and subsists upon 

 worms, insects, and the fry of fish, in habits strongly resem- Food, 

 bling the other dark headed Gulls. It would also appear to 

 be a native of America, a specimen having been obtained on 

 Sir JOHN FRANKLIN'S first expedition, which agreed in every 

 respect with TEMMINCK'S description of the young of this 

 species. 



PLATE 92. Represents the Adult Bird in the winter plu- 

 mage, from a beautiful specimen kindly lent to' me for 

 the purpose by Mr JOHN GOULD, and which was killed 

 upon the Thames in January 1828. Figure of the na- 

 tural size. 



Forehead, face, throat, tail, and under plumage, pure Genera 

 white. Anterior angle of the eye, ear-coverts, nape and t ^^ 

 back part of the neck, deep blackish-grey. Upper plu- Winter 

 mage fine pearl-grey, the quills and secondaries tipped F 

 with white. Interior of the wings or under-coverts deep 

 grey. Bill brownish-black, tinged with red. Legs and 

 toes bright tile-red. 



In summer the whole of the head and upper part of the Summer 

 neck become black, as in the next species (Larus ridi- 

 bundus.) The white of the lower part of the neck, and 

 of the under plumage, assumes a slight rosy tint ; but 

 the lower part of the back and the tail remain of a pure 

 white. The bill also loses its brown tinge, becoming of 

 an arterial blood-red colour, and the legs and toes ac- 

 quire an additional intensity of hue. 



Fig. . Is the young of the year, immediately previous to 

 the autumnal moult. 



