574 



of the Terns. Like them, some of the smaller Gulls assume 

 during the breeding- season a dark-coloured head. 



Most of the species of the sub-family LariiKe, or Gulls, 

 have a wide geographical range ; some of them frequenting 

 the sea-coast, whilst others also visit inland lakes, rivers, 

 and marshes. As a family they are practically omnivorous, 

 living on fish, alive or dead, any animal matter that is cast 

 up by the tide, eggs of other birds, insects, grain, and other 

 vegetable substances. The young differ from the adult birds 

 in plumage, and seldom associate with them at the nesting- 

 place during the breeding-season. The sexes do not differ 

 in plumage; but the males are generally larger than the 

 females ; sometimes considerably so. 



SABINE'S GULL was added to the British Fauna by the 

 late Wm. Thompson, of Belfast, to whom we are indebted 

 for a description of the plumage of the young bird in its first 

 autumn dress. The first specimen was shot in Belfast Bay, 

 in September, 1822, and was presented to the Natural 

 History Society of Belfast for the museum, in 1833 ; and 

 in the Museum of the Koyal Dublin Society, Mr. Thompson 

 subsequently pointed out a second example of this Gull, also 

 in the plumage of the first autumn, which was shot in Dublin 

 Bay by Mr. Wall, the curator. Attention having been drawn 

 to the characteristics of this species, it was found to be a not 

 unfrequent, although somewhat irregular, visitor to the shores 

 of the British Islands. In almost every instance the occur- 

 rences have taken place in the months of August, Septem- 

 ber, and October, the exception being one near Brighton in 

 December, and the specimens obtained have been, almost 

 invariably, young birds of the year. Mr. Harting's valuable 

 ' Handbook of British Birds ' (p. 171), contains a record of 

 upwards of twenty captures previous to 1872, and during the 

 subsequent twelve years so many more have been recorded 

 that the instances are too numerous for mention in detail. 

 Suffice it to say that examples of this species have been 

 obtained twice or thrice in Cornwall ; twice in Devonshire ; 

 twice in Somersetshire ; six times in Sussex ; twice on the 



