ORNITHOLOGICAL RAMBLES. b9 



(Larus marinus), gliding on graceful pinion at a great 

 height, and never presenting themselves under any 

 circumstances within even respectable rifle range. 

 Oh ! how I longed for one of these majestic aeronauts ! 

 There is something strikingly beautiful in the whole 

 contour of this fine bird, especially when seen under 

 the advantage of its fully-matured summer plumage. 

 The rich glossy indigo of the back and wings contrast- 

 ing in the most marked and bold manner with the 

 snowy softness of its convex bosom ; its full well- 

 proportioned neck, and half- vigilant half-sleepy eye; 

 its compressed upper mandible, giving it a sort of 

 superciliously sarcastic expression ; its ship-shape, 

 tapering form ; the bright pale flesh-colour of its legs 

 and feet ; each and all contribute to embellish, in a 

 striking degree, a most dignified elegance of form. A 

 full adult bird is one-third larger than the herring 

 gull in size. The lesser blackbacked gull is a minor 

 model of the above, but differing in the colour of the 

 legs and feet, which are of a bright gamboge-yellow, 

 the former becoming paler upwards, aud the claws 

 black. 



Mr. Scarth has told me that whenever these birds 

 are to be seen hovering along the shore, a close 

 observer need never be without fish for dinner. The 

 principal food of this gull is the flounder ; which fish, 

 when the tide recedes, has the power of immediately 

 burying itself in the wet sand, where it remains until 



