5*4 



GULL TRIBE. 



the first primary mainly white, with a black streak along the outer web ; while on 



the second, third, and fourth quills of the same series the black forms a bar, 



followed by a broad white tip. 



With the somewhat misnamed 

 common gull (Z. canus) we come to 

 the first of a group of mostly large 

 species, characterised by the pure 

 white head and neck in the summer- 

 plumage of the adult. Measuring 

 18 inches in length, the adult in 

 summer has the head and neck pure 

 white; the back grey; the primaries 

 mostly black, with white spots or 

 tips ; the beak yellow at the tip and 

 greenish yellow at the base; and 

 the total number of flight-feathers 

 thirty -one. Breeding throughout 

 Northern Europe and Asia, the 

 common gull is now only a winter 

 visitor to England, although it still 

 nests in Ireland and Scotland. Its 

 nests may be either scattered singly 

 along the shore, or aggregated into 

 larger or smaller colonies. On the 

 two sides of North America this 



gull is severally represented by an allied species. Another British species demand- 

 ing notice is the herring-gull (L. argentatus), which considerably exceeds the last 



in size, measuring upwards 



of 23 inches in length. In 



the adult summer-plumage 



the head is white; the 



mantle pale pearl -grey; 



the beak wholly yellow; 



a ring round the eye 



yellow; and the legs flesh- 

 coloured; while there are 



thirty-four flight-feathers. 



The range of this species 



includes Northern Europe, 



the islands of the Atlantic, 



such as the Azores, where 



it breeds, and North 



America ; while in winter 



it visits the north of 



Africa. In Southern 



Europe, as well as in HERRING-GULL. 



COMMON GULL. 



