GULL. NATATORES. LARUS. 485 
The Little Gull is a native of the eastern parts of Europe, 
being a common and abundant species in Russia, Finland, 
the shores of the Caspian Sea, &c., and extends its range to 
Siberia, where it breeds. It frequents the lakes and rivers 
of the interior, as well as the sea-coast, and subsists upon 
worms, insects, and the fry of fish, in habits strongly resem- 
bling the other dark headed Gulls. It would also appear to 
be a native of America, a specimen having been obtained on 
Sir Joun Franxkuin’s first expedition, which agreed in every 
respect with TEmmiNckx’s description of the young of this 
species. 
Piate 92. Represents the Adult Bird in the winter plu- 
mage, from a beautiful specimen kindly lent to!me for 
the purpose by Mr Joun Goutp, and which was killed 
upon the Thames in January 1828, Figure of the na- 
tural size. 
Forehead, face, throat, tail, and under plumage, pure 
white. Anterior angle of the eye, ear-coverts, nape and 
back part of the neck, deep blackish-grey. Upper plu- 
mage fine pearl-grey, the quills and secondaries tipped 
with white. Interior of the wings or under-coverts deep 
grey. Bill brownish-black, tinged withred. Legs and 
toes bright tile-red. 
In summer the whole of the head and upper part of the 
neck become black, as in the next species (Larus ridi- 
bundus.) 'The white of the lower part of the neck, and 
of the under plumage, assumes a slight rosy tint ; but 
the lower part of the back and the tail remain of a pure 
white. The bill also loses its brown tinge, becoming of 
an arterial blood-red colour, and the legs and toes ac- 
quire an additional intensity of hue. 
Fig. 2. Is the young of the year, immediately previous to 
the autumnal moult. 
Food. 
Genera 
descrip- 
tion. 
Winter 
plumage. 
Summer 
Plunnage. 
