206 BIRDS OF THE HUMBER DISTRICT. 



Birds in the second and third year's plumage are 

 found off the coast, and within the river all through 

 the summer. There is frequently a great difference 

 in the relative size of this species ; to pick extremes, 

 the disparity seems sufficient to create a specific di- 

 stinction. 



265. LARUS MARINUS, Linnaeus. Great Black- 

 backed Gull. 



Provincial. Cob. 



This fine Gull is tolerably plentiful in the river, 

 and on the Yorkshire and Lincolnshire coasts. The 

 old bird is the wildest and most unapproachable of 

 our Gulls. The young of the year, however, are at 

 first comparatively fearless of their natural enemy, 

 man, and thus not unfrequently fall victims to their 

 temerity. 



The old birds keep in pairs throughout the winter, 

 haunting the wildest and most desolate portions of 

 our flat coasts, and rarely mingling or associating 

 with other Gulls, or coming inland to feed. They 

 leave us in the spring for the north, returning with 

 the young birds in July. At this season they are 

 often numerous at Spurn, and off the mouth of the 

 H umber, between the Bull and Newsand floating 

 light-ships, where there is always much floating 

 matter drifting to and fro with the tides. 



This species is much more of a marine bird than 

 either of the preceding, and rarely leaves the sea-coast. 



