The Bild life of Corsica. 389 



197. Caspian Tern, S. caspia Pall. Formmerly of regular occur- 

 rence in spring- in the Straits of Bonifacio: no recent records. 



198. Lesser Tern, 8. minuta L. One bird (which may have been 

 breeding in the neighbourhood) seen on the È. coast on 

 May 31 (J.). 



199. Adriatic Gull, Lanis melano cephalus Natt. Seen at Porto 

 Vecchio, Sept. 26 (G.). 



200. Brown headed Gull, L. rihidundus L. Common in winter 

 (W., J. W.): one seen in breeding plumage on Apr. 30 in a 

 storm (J. W.). Giglioli includes it in his list as sedentary, 



' but this seems very doubtful. 



201. Lesser Black backed Gull, L. fuscus L. Seen at Bastia (G.). 



202. Mediterranean Herring Gull, L. argentatus cachinnans Pall. 

 Common resident, breeding on the small islands near the 

 coast, sometimes in large colonies. The eggs are taken or 

 destroyed by the fishermen in great numbers, so that although 

 where undisturbed the young have hatched out and left the 

 nest at the beginning of May, fresh eggs may often be found 

 in May and June. The clutch consists of 2 to 3 eggs, which 

 show considerable variation in size and colour, but can 

 easily be distinguished from those of L. audouini. For 

 details as to the eggs and nesting habits of the two species 

 see the Ornitholog. Jahrbuch, 1909, p. 139 (XX. Jahrg.). 

 Average size of 57 Corsican eggs, 70.74 X 49.48 mm. Max. 

 76.2 X 51.5 and 70.3 X 53.3, Min. 65.5 X 45.3. An abnormal 

 egg measures 60.3 X 46.3 mm. 



203. Common Gull, L. canus L. Fairly common winter visitor 

 (W., J. W., G.). 



204. Slender billed Gull, L. gelastes Licht. Seen at Bonifacio, 

 Sept. 27 (G.). 



205. Audouin's Gull, L. audouini Payr. Resident, breeding in 

 small colonies on the islets in the Straits of Bonifacio. A 

 specimen in the British Museum is said to have been obtained 

 in Corsica. A wounded bird found in a storm on Jan. 14, 

 but not kept (J. W.). Arrigoni in his article on this species 

 in the Ibis, 1902 p. 491 — ^499 states that it is apparently met 

 with but rarely on the W. coasts of Corsica, and is resident 

 on the islands of Spargi and Spargiotto, Caprera and Madda- 

 lena, in the Straits of Bonifacio, between Sardinia and 

 Corsica. Another small colony of about five pairs was 

 discovered by me in 1908, from which I obtained a good 

 series of eggs in 1908 and 1909. (For fuller details see the 

 paper referred to above in the Ornith. Jahrb., XX. Jahrg.) 

 In note, nesting habits and eggs this species differs widely 



