154 BIRDS OF TASMANIA. 



Female. Similar to male. 



Immature. Forehead and under surface practically white; 

 head and neck mottled with brown; upper surface nearly black; 

 tail coverts white; tail almost white, slightly mottled. 



Young. "Head and hind-neck nearly uniform dark brown; 

 feathers of the mantle and tail coverts rather paler brown, with 

 buffish edges ; primaries sooty-black, with pale tips to the inner 

 quills ; rectrices dark brown, with whitish extreme tips ; under 

 surfacv brown; paler on the abdomen; under wing coverts 

 dark brown; bill nearly black, ochraceous near the base of the 

 upper mandible ; tarsi and toes yellowish-brown. At a subsequent 

 stage the forehead and throat are streaked with greyish-white and 

 brown, while the general tone of the plumage is lighter. The next 

 year dull white is the prevailing colour on the under parts; some 

 black shows on the mantle ; the throat and head are very boldly 

 streaked with brown ; some white begins to show at the base of the 

 tail, and the coverts are nearly white; bill greenish basally " 

 (B. M. Cat.) 



Nest. Well constructed either of grass and stalks of plants 

 or of pieces of pig-face weed ; it is placed under the shelter of rocks, 

 tussock-grass, or salt-bush, generally 011 islands or islets. 



Eggs. Clutch two to three; oval in shape; texture coarse; 

 surface slightly glossy ; colour light olive-brown, sometimes dark 

 olive-brown, spotted and blotched with umber and dull grey, some 

 of the markings appearing as though urider the surface. Dimensions 

 in mm. of two clutches : A (1) 78 x 56, (2) 80 x 55, (3) 73 x 54; 

 B (1) 71 x 57, (2) 78 x 55. 



Breeding Season. October to December. 



Geographical Distribution. Coasts of Tasmania, New South 

 Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South and Western Australia. 



Observations. Next to the Silver Gull, this species is perhaps 

 the most familiar sea-bird found round our coasts. At no time, 

 however, does it congregate in as large flocks as the previous 

 species, on whose eggs and young it wages relentless war during 

 the breeding season. 



The general habits of the Pacific Gull closely resemble those of 

 the preceding species as far as gathering food from river flats, sea 

 beaches, and following steamers for the sake of the scraps thrown 

 overboard. It also wanders up the valley of the North Esk in 

 winter and feeds, in company with Silver Gulls, Eavens, and 

 Starlings, on the grubs and worms washed out of the ground by 

 floods. 



Three years elapse before it attains adult plumage. 



On Ninth Island, where there are large rookeries of White- 

 faced Storm-Petrels (Pelagodroma marina), I found that the 

 Pacific Gull was responsible for the death of great numbers of this 

 dainty little Petrel, for on moonlight nights it could both be seen 

 and heard " hawking " over the rookeries, and every now and then 



