308 Animal 
THE Common Gull (Larus canus) is also not 
quite properly named, for with 
us at all events it certainly 1s 
not so common as the herring 
eull (L. argentatus) or the laughing gull 
(L. ridibundus), to which last species most 
of our winter visitors to London belong. 
The common gull is one of the smaller 
species, being little bigger than the 
lanehing eull, although more stoutly made. 
In its pure erey and white plumage it 
much resembles the similar-sized kittiwake 
(Rissa tridactyla), but the latter may be 
distinguished when in adult plumage by its 
blackish feet, the feet of the common gull 
beimg pale 
ereenish 
in colour. 
The young 
birds of 
the two 
species are 
very differ- 
ent, young 
kittiwakes 
being grey 
and white 
With a 
black band 
on each 
wing and 
at the tip 
of thre 
tail, while 
young com- 
mon gulls 
are of a 
mottled drab, and look much like small 
editions of the young herring gull. Unhke 
the kittiwake, which is essentially a sea-bird 
and a cliff-breeder, the common gull breeds 
on low shores, and is especially addicted to 
coming inland. 
The Common 
Gull. 
WHITE-HEADED SEA-EAGLE, 
¢ 
Wa" 
Thick-Knees or Stone-Curlews form a 
small family of birds closely 
allied to the plovers, which 
they nearly resemble in shape, 
though they are very much larger as a rule. 
They may, however, be easily distinguished 
by having the corner of the mouth extending 
THE 
The Australian 
Thick=Knee. 
Photos by W. P. Dando, F.Z.5. os 
to the eye, while in the true plovers 
it terminates below the forehead. They 
are night birds and have large yellow eyes, 
whence in India they are called gogele- 
eyed plovers. The present bird (Burhinus 
grallarius) 1s the largest of the family m 
linear measurement, though in bulk and 
stoutness of build it is inferior to the great- 
billed stone-plovers (4¥sacus) of India and 
Australia. These great plovers do well in 
captivity, and the present kind and the 
common Indian great-billed species (4i’sacus 
recurvirostris) exhibit a peculiar habit of 
rushing about with wings and tail expanded 
so as to display their conspicuous black 
and white 
markings, 
which are 
concealed 
in repose. 
A similar 
habit has 
been ob- 
served with 
our Hng- 
lish stone- 
curlew (47. 
crepitans) 
when at 
hiberty. 
DD 
THIS 18S 
The White=- 
headed 
WHITE-TAILED Sea-Eagle. 
SEA-EAGLE, 
the Haliaétus leucocephalus of ornithologists, 
and the “Bald Hagle” and “Bird of Free- 
dom” of American writers, the national 
emblem of the United States. Benjamin 
Franklin, indeed, objected to its use in this 
capacity, alleging that it was a rascally bird 
and did not get its living honestly, pre- 
ferring to rob the industrious osprey of the 
fruits of its piscatorial labours. But, after 
all, this accusation might be brought against 
eagles in general; in India the osprey is 
victimised by the white-bellied sea-eagle 
(H. lewcogaster), and in the same country 
one of the hunting eagles (Aquila vindhiana) 
