LARUS 837 



Hob. Northern Europe, east to the Petchora river, north in 

 Norway to the Russian frontier, and in Sweden to about 

 Sundsvall ; the Faeroes and Iceland ; rarer in Greenland ; fairly 

 common in the northern part of Britain ; in winter migrating 

 south to the Canaries and Mediterranean, where it is rare, east 

 to Egypt, and the Volga ; the Atlantic coasts of North America, 

 south to Virginia and Florida. 



It feeds on fish and offal, and being extremely predatory in 

 its habits it destroys large numbers of the eggs and young of 

 water birds, and will kill and devour wounded birds. Its note 

 is a loud clear cry, yo w, yow, yow, and it often utters a hoarse 

 cackle when on the wing. It nests not only on the sea coast 

 but also about inland waters, making a large nest of dry grass, 

 heather, wool, moss, and sometimes feathers, which it places on 

 a rock or on the ground, and in May deposits 2 to 3 eggs, which 

 are lighter or darker olive-brown, with dark or brown blotches, 

 and in size measure about 3'0 by 2*13. 



1151. GLAUCOUS GULL. 

 LARUS GLAUCUS. 



Larus glaucus, Fabricius, Faun. Groenl. p. 100 (1780) ; Naum. x. p. 350, 

 Taf. 264 ; Hewitson, ii. p. 504, pi. cxli. fig. 2 ; Gould, B. of E. 

 v. pi. 432 ; id. B. of Gt. Brit. v. pi. 57 ; Dresser, viii. p. 433, 

 pi. 605 ; Seebohm, B. Jap. Emp. p. 290 ; Saunders, Cat. B. Br. 

 Mus. xxv. p. 289 ; id. Manual, p. 679; Kidgway, p. 26 ; Lilford, 

 vi. p. 59, pi. 26 ; L. barrovianus, Ridgway, Auk, 1886, p. 330 ; 

 Tacz. F. 0. Sib. 0. p. 1019. 



Eismowe, German ; Burgemeestei\ Dutch ; Hvitm&fr, Icel. ; 

 Graamaage, Dan. ; Stor Hvidmnget-maage, Norweg. ; Hvittrut, 

 Swed. ; Iso-lokki, Pormestari, Finn. ; Morskaia-Tschaika, Russ. 



ad. (Greenland). Mantle verj' pale blue-grey, rest of plumage pure 

 white ; bill yellow with a red patch towards the tip of the lower mandible ; 

 legs light flesh-colour ; iris light yellow, the edge of the eyelid vermilion. 

 Culmen 3'1, wing 18*6, tail 8'5, tarsus 2'8 inch. 



Hal. The Arctic regions of the Old and New Worlds; in 

 winter passing south to the coasts of Europe as far south as 

 the Mediterranean (rarely), the Black Sea, and North Caspian ; 

 in Asia to Japan ; in America to Long Island and the Great 

 Lakes. 



In habits it resembles L. marinus, and like that bird builds 

 a bulky nest of dry grass, seaweeds, &c., or utilizes a depression 



3 I 2 



