80 



LAUGHING GULL. 



BLACK-WINGED GULL. HOODED GULL. 



Larus atricilla, PENNANT. MONTAGU. FLEMING. 



" " JENYNS. TKMMINCK. 



Xema atricilla, GOULD. 



Larus A ravenous sea-bird. Atricilla. Ater Black. Cilia ? 



THIS species has occurred in Europe in Russia, Spain, Italy, 

 Sicily, and the Islands of the Grecian Archipelago, and the 

 Mediterranean generally. In Africa, about the Straits of 

 Gibraltar. In America, at the Tortugas, Tobago, Texas, and 

 New Jersey. 



Catesby, the author of the well-known 'Natural History of 

 Carolina,' gave the present species its name, and Colonel 

 Montagu made known its occurrence as an English bird. He 

 first noticed five, two old, and three young ones, near Win- 

 chilsea, in Kent, in the month of August, 1774: one of them 

 was shot. He also saw two others near Hastings, in Sussex. 



These birds feed on small fish, insects, and Crustacea. 



The present species builds in marshy places near the sea- 

 shore. Meyer asserts that during fine weather this bird sits 

 on the eggs only at night, leaving the breeding-place early in 

 the morning for the purpose of feeding, but that, when the 

 weather is wet or cold, she remains on the eggs, and takes 

 care of them also during the day. 



The nest is made of dry grass and sea-weeds, arranged to 

 a height of two or three inches, the interior being from four 

 and a half to five inches wide, and one and a half deep. 



Audubon mentions a curious instance of two nests being 

 built as it were into one; each pair of birds, both m-ale and 

 female, living in the closest companionship, in both senses of 

 the word. In some cases the sand alone is hollowed into 

 a nest. Many pairs build near together. 



