THE HERRING-GULL. 387 



gulls usually do, at that season. Its history is, however, 

 rather imperfect and obscure. 



THE LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL (LarUS fuSCUS). 



This species, which is resident, and not uncommon in some 

 of the more northerly places, is easily distinguished from the 

 other large gulls by its yellow feet, those of all the rest being 

 reddish or livid. It is a rock-breeder ; and, as may indeed 

 be said of the rock-breeders generally, it subsists more by 

 fishing, and less by picking up garbage on the shores, or dead 

 animals floating at sea. 



It is about two feet long, and four feet and a half in the 

 extent of the wings. The irides and bill, like the feet, are 

 yellow, but the orbits of the eyes are brown when young, and 

 pale straw-colour in the mature birds. The back and scapu- 

 lars are bluish black, the quills black ; but the outer prima- 

 ries are barred near their tips, and the others tipped with 

 white, as are also some of the scapulars. The birds assemble 

 very closely on the ledges of their favourite rocks in the 

 breeding season, but disperse at other times : at all times, 

 however, they are energetic in their fishing. 



THE HERRING-GULL (Larus argentatus). 



This species is about the same length as the last-mentioned, 

 but rather more delicately made, not quite so heavy, and a 

 little longer in the wings. It is also a rock-breeder, a resi- 

 dent on the shores, and subsists chiefly by fishing ; although 

 it is, like the rest, very indiscriminate in its feeding. 



The feet of the herring-gull are pale flesh colour, the orbits 

 of the eyes straw colour, the irides and bill yellow, the latter 

 with a bright orange spot on the projecting angle of the lower 

 mandible. In the mature birds, the back, scapulars, and 

 coverts of the wings, are ash colour, the quills dusky with 



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