246 LARIN.E. LARUS. 



304. LARUS ARGENTATUS. SILVERY GULL. 



Bill two inches and a fourth along the ridge, which is much 

 decurved toward the end, nine-twelfths high at the angle, 

 -which is prominent ; tarsus two inches and a half long ; wings 

 surpassing the tail by an inch and a half. In winter, the 

 bill yellow, the lower mandible with an orange-red patch 

 toward the end ; the margins of the eyelids yellow ; the feet 

 flesh-coloured ; the back and wings light bluish-grey, very 

 slightly tinged with purple ; the quills largely tipped with 

 white, the outer six in part black, two of them with a large 

 white spot toward the end ; the head and hind-neck white, 

 with light brown streaks ; all the other parts pure white. 

 In summer, the bill pure yellow, the patch on the lower 

 mandible bright orange, inclining to carmine, margins of eye- 

 lids yellow ; head and neck pure white ; the other parts as 

 in winter. Young with the bill brownish-black, paler at the 

 base of the lower mandible;' edges of eyelids dusky ; feet 

 purplish flesh-colour ; head and neck greyish-white, streaked 

 with greyish-brown ; lower parts greyish-white, spotted with 

 greyish-brown; upper parts variegated with dark greyish- 

 brown and brownish-white, the feathers being margined with 

 the latter ; the quills greyish-black, as is the tail, unless at 

 the base, where it is barred with white. 



Male, 23, 54, 18, 2, 2|, 2 T \, & Female, 22, 52. 



The Silvery, or Herring GulJ, as it is also called, is consi- 

 derably larger than the Yellow-footed Gull, and is by far the 

 most numerous of our larger Gulls. Its flight is strong, 

 buoyant, direct, and unwavering, when it is proceeding to- 

 ward a distant place. When engaged with a shoal of fry, it 

 hovers over the water, stretches upwards and vibrates its 

 wings, lets down its feet so as to touch and sometimes pat 

 the water, and picks up its prey without alighting. Its cry 

 is loud and shrill on such occasions, but at other times re- 

 sembles the sound of laughter. During tempestuous weather 

 it often flies inland. It breeds, usually in great numbers, in 

 small unfrequented islands, or on remote rocky coasts, forming 

 a bulky nest, and laying usually three eggs, averaging two 

 inches and three-fourths in length, an inch and eight- twelfths 

 in breadth, of various tints of grey or olivaceous-brown 

 clouded or spotted with dark- brown and purplish-grey. 



Herring Gull. 



Larus argentatus, Gmel. Syst. Nat. i, 600. Larus marinus, 

 var. B. Lath. Ind. Ornith. ii. 814. Larus argentatus, Temm. 

 Man. d'Ornith. ii. 764. Larus argentatus, Silvery Gull, Mac- 

 Gillivray, Brit. Birds, v. 



