“at |= rh 

_ They live in large flocks, and are most numerous 
> in the Northern seas. * 
The Black-headed Gull (Larus rid?- 
It 
ices: 
bundus) is about as large as a pigeon. 
of the commonest 
species, and is found 
on the coasts and 
inland seas of all 
Europe, and of a 
great part of Asia 
and Africa. The 
head is brown in 
summer and white 4 
in winter, the back Ee 
ashy grey, the tips Egg of Black-headed Gull. 
of the wings black and the rest of the body snow- 
white. The beak and iegs are blood-red. 
Fig. f. The Great Black-backed Gull (Larus 
marinus) is found in northern and central Europe. 
It is nearly as large as a goose, and is a bold and 
voracious bird which will even rob other sea-birds 
of their prey. It is an excellent flyer and swimmer, 
and does aot shun the most tempestuous waters. 
Fig. g. The Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) 
which is the size of a raven, is also met with on 
the coasts of the northern seas, and is sometimes 
seen about inland lakes. Its plumage is pure white, 
_ except the two first wing-feathers and the tips of 
the others, which are black. 
(Plate XXVIII.) 
Fig. a. The Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) is 
smaller than the true Sea-Gulls and has a forked 
tail, long pointed wings 
and a very swift flight, 
mand is- therefore _ often 
called the sea-swallow. 
The three front toes are 
connected by short webs, 
and the hinder toe, which 
is smaller and_ placed 
rather higher, is free. It 
is common on the coasts 
of Europe as well as on large lakes and rivers. It 
makes its nest in hollows on shingle, and feeds on 
fish and other aquatic animals. 
Fig. b. The Pomarine Skua (Lestr7s pomarina) 
_ differs from the Tern in the form of the beak, which 
- is strongly hooked at the tip. The lower mandible 
is provided with a projecting notch. The wings are 
long and pointed, the tail rounded, and the claws sharp 
and very strongly curved. These birds do not dive 
so well as the true gulls, which they rob of their 
prey during flight, and they also feed on the eggs 
and young of other birds. The present species is a 
dark greyish-brown bird as large as araven. It in- 
habits the northern seas. 
is one 

= oo 

ae” 
Egg of Common Tern. 
Yes ee Ore ee ee 
= 
Procellariide. (Petrels and Albatrosses.) 
(Plate XXVIII.) 
These birds are characterised by the absence 
of the hinder toe and by the form of the nostrils, 
which rise in a double tube on the back of the 
beak. These birds resemble the sea-gulls in their 
form and habits, but prefer the open sea. 
In the Petrels (7alasstdroma) the small beak 
is hooked at the tip, the nostrils form a divided 
tube and the hinder toe is but slightly developed. 
Fig. c. The Stormy Petrel (7halassedroma 
pelagica) is about six inches long and is of a sooty- 
black colour, with a white rump and a white trans- 
Family IL. 



19 
verse stripe on the wings. It is constantly on the 
Wing, and is met with on the open ocean between 
Europe and America, Sailors usually regard it as 
a signal of bad weather, for it is often seen during 
storms, half flying and half running over the 
waves in pursuit of fish, Medusae and other small 
animals, 
In the Albatrosses (Dzomedea) the beak is long, 
straight and sharp, the nostrils form separate tubes, 
the wings are very long and narrow, and the tail 
is rounded. 
Fig. d. The Albatross (Diomedea exulans) is 
a majestic bird, measuring over four feet in length, 
and twelve feet in expanse of wing. It is found in 
all seas, and makes its nest on the most lonely islands. 
It feeds on fish, molluscs and carrion. 
Section Il. Steganopodes. 
In these birds the feet are webbed and very 
large. The beak is straight and slender, and is 
generally very long, like the neck. Some species 
have an enlarged crop or a bag-like skin on the 
lower jaw. Their wings are long and pointed and 
adapted for swift and well-sustained flight. 
In the genus felecanus the beak is very broad 
and long, and the two bony supports of the lower 
jaw are connected by a broad expansible throat-pouch. 
Fig. e. The Pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus) is 
a native of South Eastern Europe and the adjacent 
parts of Asia and Africa. It frequents shallow bays 
and large lakes and makes its nest among reeds in 
inaccessible places. It feeds on fish, which are 
usually stored in the throat-pouch before being 
swallowed. Although this Jarge bird weighs from 
20 to 25 pounds, it has a high and rapid flight, and 
is also an excellent swimmer and diver. 
Section II]. Anseres. 
(Plate XXV.) 
These birds are characterised by the form of 
the beak which is usually bread and flat (rarely 
narrow), with the tip curved and the sides covered 
with a soft skin, which is transversely wrinkled. 
The edges of the beak are toothed in transverse 
layers, and form a kind of sieve with the tongue 
which is dentated at the edge.~ The feet are pro- 
vided with three webbed toes in front, and a rudi- 
mentary hind toe. The plumage is generally soft 
and glossy, and the flesh excellent, although most 
other waterbirds have a strong fishy taste, which 
renders them unfit for food. 
In the genus Fhoentcopterus the beak is ab- 
ruptly curved, and the neck and legs very slender. 
They inhabit the warmer parts of the world. 
Fig. a. The Flamingo (Phoenzcopterus roseus) 
is a beautitul bird, especially when fullgrown. The 
plumage is white, suffused with rose-red, and the 
wings are bright red. They are fond of brackish 
water and especially lagunes. They fly and swim 
well, and when seeking for food, turn their heads 
so far round that the upper mandible is often 
undermost. 
In the Swans (Cygrus) the neck is long and 
slender, the beak is equally broad throughout, and 
there is a broad bare space between the beak and 
the eyes. The legs are short and _ placed far 
back, and therefore these birds walk clumsily, 
but they swim very gracefully, and their flight 
is strong. 
