492 



NATATORES. LARUS. 



GULL. 



General 

 descrip- 

 tion. 



Winter 

 Plumage. 



Summer 

 Plumage. 



Young. 



white and pearl-grey, the characteristic colours of the adult 

 bird, and the change is completed as soon as the caudal band 

 is entirely obliterated. The Common Gull has a wide geo- 

 graphical distribution, and during the summer is met with 

 in most of the arctic regions, inhabiting, according to Dr 

 RICHARDSON, those of North America, as well as of the Eu- 

 ropean and Asiatic continents. In winter it quits the higher 

 latitudes, and migrates southward, spreading its numbers 

 along the coasts of a large proportion of the temperate parts 

 of Europe. 



PLATE 93. Represents this bird in the adult state, and in its 

 winter plumage. 



Bill about one inch and a half long, bluish-green at the 

 base, passing into ochre-yellow towards the point, with 

 the gape orange-red, and the naked circle round each 

 eye reddish-brown. Head, occiput, nape, and sides of 

 the neck, white, streaked with broccoli-brown. Under 

 plumage, rump, and tail, pure white. Mantle, scapu- 

 lars, and wing-coverts, fine pearl-grey. Greater quills 

 black towards their tips, which are white, the two first 

 having also a large white spot within the black. Legs 

 and feet greenish-grey, with a tinge of flesh-red. 



In the spring the head and neck lose the streaks of brown, 

 and become of an immaculate white. The bill changes 

 to a deeper yellow, and the eyelids assume a bright ver- 

 milion-red colour. In other respects the plumage re- 

 mains as in winter. 



The young, when they first take wing, have the chin 

 white, and the head, neck, and under plumage, greyish- 

 white, marbled with pale clove-brown. In front of the 

 eyes is a patch of deep clove-brown. Upper plumage 

 clove-brown, each feather being edged with greyish- 

 white, and upon the wing-coverts with yellowish- white. 

 Greater wing-coverts and quills blackish-grey. Rump 

 arid basal part of the tail, white, the other part black, 



