LARINJE. GAVIA. 241 



faintly marked with grey ; a black crescent before the eye, 

 and a blackish-grey patch behind it. In summer, the colours 

 similar, but the head and throat deep brown, becoming brown- 

 ish-black behind, the lower parts slightly tinged with rose- 

 colour. Young with the bill flesh-coloured, toward the end 

 blackish-brown, feet brownish flesh-colour; head and nape 

 pale brown; upper parts brown, the feathers edged with 

 paler ; tail white, with a broad terminal bar of dark brown. 



Male, 16, 38, 17*, liV, IT"** IT**, T V Female, 15, 36. 



This species is generally found dispersed along the shores, 

 but often congregates, more especially in estuaries and near 

 the mouths of rivers, during the cold season, when its food 

 consists of small fishes, which it picks from the water, as 

 well as Crustacea, and marine worms which it finds along 

 the shores. Frequently, however, it makes incursions in- 

 land, searching the pastures and ploughed fields for worms 

 and larvse, especially in stormy weather. Its flight is ve*y 

 light, buoyant, and wavering. Even when solitary, it emits 

 a creeking cry at intervals, but when multitudes are as- 

 sembled, it becomes clamorous, their cries filling the air. 

 In spring they betake themselves to particular marshes or 

 lakes, on the tufts, or along the shores of which, they form 

 their nests, which are composed of rushes and sedges, laying 

 two or three, very rarely four eggs, of an olivaceous, oil-green, 

 or light-brown colour, spotted and blotched with brownish- 

 black and purplish-grey ; their length averaging two inches 

 and two-twelfths, their breadth an inch and a quarter. As 

 the eggs afford delicate eating, they are collected for sale. 

 When the young are able to fly, they and their parents betake 

 themselves to the sea-coasts. 



Black-headed Gull. Black-cap Gull. Hooded Maw. Red- 

 legged Gull. Pewit Gull. Mire Grow. Sea Crow. Pick- 

 mire. Pictarn. Laughing Gull. 



Larus ridibundus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. 225 ; Larus cinera- 

 rius, i, 224 : summer and winter. Larus ridibundus, Lath. 

 Ind. Ornith. ii. 811. Larus ridibundus, Temm, Man. d'Or- 

 nith, ii. 780. Gavia ridibunda, Browne-headed Mew, Mac- 

 Gillivray, Brit. Birds, v. 



300 t GAVIA SABINI. SABINE'S MEW. 

 Bill an inch in length ; tarsus an inch and a half ; wings 

 two inches longer than the tail, which is forked ; bill black 

 to a little before the nostrils, then yellow; outer four quills 

 black, with the tips, and inner half of the inner web to near 

 the end, white. In summer, the head and upper part of neck 



Q 



