121 [Vol. xxix. 



wander southwards as far as the Western 

 Mediterranean, and also possibly to Madeira^ the 

 Canaries, and the Azores. 

 " Finally, I should like to call the attention of Members 

 to the difficulty 1 have experienced in obtaining British- 

 killed specimens in winter plumage, which seems to me 

 rather to point to the fact, as regards our own native-bred 

 Lesser Black-backed Gull, that the southerly migration in 

 winter is much more complete than is generally supposed." 



Mr. Rothschild acknowledged the differences between 

 the British and Scandinavian races, which he had noticed 

 some years ago, but differed from Dr. Lowe as to the likeli- 

 hood of the two forms having separate winter-quarters in the 

 Mediterranean. He also mentioned that several pale forms 

 of L. fuscus had been described, such as L. affinis and 

 L. vegce, and that there was considerable doubt as to their 

 degree of distinctness as well as to the geographical limits 

 of each of them. 



Mr. D. A. Bannerman remarked : — 



" In the last number of ' British Birds ' Dr. Lowe 

 described the new subspecies of Lesser Black-backed Gull 

 which Mr. W. L. Sclater is exhibiting here to-night on his 

 behalf. Dr. Lowe refers to examples of the Less.er Black- 

 backed Gull which I procured in the island of Gran Canaria 

 and have brought for exhibition to-night. As he has pointed 

 out, this Gull from the Canary Islands does not agree 

 with either Larus fuscus or Larus fuscus britannicus, the 

 colour of the back being intermediate between the two ; 

 but the material at present available is too meagre to 

 enable us to arrive at any definite conclusion. When at 

 Las Palm as about ten days ago I found no Gulls of any 

 kind in the harbour, and was told that none had been seen 

 there for about a month. As soon as they return from their 

 breeding-quarters I hope to secure a sufficient series to 

 decide whether they represent a distinct race. In February 

 and March the Lesser Black-backed Gull is extremely 

 plentiful in Las Palmas harbour. As to whether this Gull 



