THE BLACK-HEADED GULL. 395 



and ornamental grounds of worms, slugs, and other earth 

 animals. 



Authors have made several species out of this one, from 

 the seasonal changes of plumage to which it is liable, as has 

 indeed been the case with most of the seasonal birds, even 

 though the seasonal change of place is not greater than that 

 from the fen or the solitary inland pool, to the nearest part 

 of the shore. The mature birds of this species are not eatable, 

 and the young are very inferior to those of the kitty-wake ; 

 but they used to be served up at feasts, more for ostentation 

 than for use. 



In the breeding season, the mature birds have the feet, 

 bill, and orbits, red ; the irides hazel ; the head and nape 

 brownish black, except a few white feathers round the eye ; 

 rest of the upper part grey ; the primary quills white, the 

 first with one black web, the others with black spots ; the 

 secondaries ash colour marked with white. In winter, the 

 black on the head fades to white, excepting a patch in front 

 of the eye and another on the ear covert. The young are 

 mottled brown and white ; have the bill dusky, with more or 

 less of a reddish tinge at the base, and the feet yellowish. 

 In the second year they more approach the colour of the 

 mature birds, but they have the head white in winter before 

 it becomes dark in summer. As they are to be seen in all 

 these states of plumage, they have been called by different 

 names, and sometimes described as different birds. Their 

 inland habits have caused them (the young, especially in their 

 winter plumage) to be confounded with the common gulL 

 Though only about two-thirds of the weight of that bird, 

 they appear nearly as large, as, though a little shorter, they 

 are longer in the wings. 



THE BLACK-HEADED GULL (LttTUS atritillus). 



This species is nearly of the same size as the laughing gull, 



