310 BRITISH BIRDS. 



LARUS RIDIBUNDUS. 

 BLACK-HEADED GULL. 



(PLATE 53.) 



Larus gavia cinerea minor, Briss. Orn. vi. p. 178 (1760, winter plumage). 



Larus gavia ridibunda phcenicopos, Briss. Orn. vi. p. 196 (1760, summer plumage). 



Larus cinerarias, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 224 (1766, winter plumage). 



Larus ridibuudus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 225 (1766, summer plumage) ; et auctorum 



plurimorum Naumann, Temminck, Yarrell, Dresser, Satmders, c. 

 Larus erythropus, Lath. Gen. Syn. Suppl. i. p. 296 (1787). 

 Larus canescens, Bechst. Orn. Taschenb. p. 370 (1803). 

 Larus capistratus, Temm. Man. a" Orn. ii. p. 785 (1820). 

 Xema ridibundus (Linn.), ) 



Xema capistratus (Temm.-), \ Boie > Isi *> 1822 > P' 563 ' 



Chroicocephalus capistratus {Temm.}, Eyton, Hist. Rar. Brit. B. p. 63 (1836). 

 Chroicocephalus ridibundus (Linn.}, Eyton, Cat. Brit. B. p. 53 (1836). 

 Gavia ridibundus (Linn}, \ 

 Gaviacapistratus (Temm.}, \ Bona P- Naumannia, 1854, p. 213. 



Larus cahirinus, Hempr. 8,- Mr., I ^ gmmdert, P>-oc. Zool. Soc. 1878, p. 201. 

 Larus cahiricus, Ehr., 



The Black-headed Gull is one of the commonest species in this genus. 

 Its colonies are not so large as those of the Kittiwake, but they are much 

 more numerous. It is a resident in the British Islands, frequenting the 

 coasts during winter, but retiring inland in summer to breed in colonies on 

 swamps. In winter it is commoner on the English and Irish coasts than 

 on those of Scotland ; but from the nature of its breeding-grounds it is 

 naturally much more abundant in summer in Ireland and in Scotland than in 

 England. In spite of the greater population of the country, and the more 

 extensive drainage of swamps, there are still many " gulleries " left in 

 England, though it must be admitted that they owe their continued 

 existence almost entirely to the pains taken to preserve them by the owners 

 of the property where they occur. North of York the colonies are almost 

 as common as they are in Scotland, but south of that city they are very 

 few. There is one near Thome in South Yorkshire, one near Brigg in 

 Lincolnshire, and one near Norbury in Staffordshire, which was visited by 

 Ray as long ago as ] 662 ; there are two in the county of Norfolk (a very 

 large and ancient one at Scoulton Mere, and a small and recent one near 

 Hoveton), and there is one near Poole in Dorsetshire. 



The Black-headed Gull is an inland species, breeding throughout the 

 temperate portions of the Palsearctic Region. There is a colony on the 

 Faroes, but it has not been recorded from Iceland or Greenland. It breeds 



