306 



THE LAEID^E. 



the dead bodies of whales and other large fish furnish them with 

 abundant food. They prefer building their nests on desert islands 

 in the Polar seas, where they are safe from man's intrusion. 

 They lay two or three eggs in a hole scratched in the sand, or in 

 the cleft of a rock. 



These birds are easily tamed, and soon take to domestic habits ; 

 but their flesh, which is hard and tough as leather, is unfit for 

 human food. In order to render them eatable in cases of emer- 

 gency, the sailors, after haying skinned them, hang them up by 

 their feet, and leave them exposed to the evening dew for two or 



Fig. 108. Large White- winged Gull (Larus glaucus, Yarrell). 



three nights. By this means a little of the disagreeable smell 

 passed by their carcass is got rid of. 



The most remarkable species of the Sea Gull are the following : 



The Large White- winged Gull, Larus glaucus (Fig. 108), is all 

 white except its back, which is of a light bluish grey. It is most 

 frequently found towards the east of Europe, and is rare on the 

 Atlantic coasts. 



The Great Black-backed Gull, Larus marinus (Fig. 109), is of 

 a pure white, with a black back. It is very common in northern 

 regions, and habitually visits the shores of the Atlantic to the 

 north of France. 



The Herring Gull (Larus argentatus, Yarrell), is white, with a 



