THE BLACK-HEADED GULL. 329 



seen was shot in Belfast Bay, to-day. It was an adult bird, and the primaries being 

 tipped with white, indicated (according to Temminck) that it was a very old indivi- 

 dual. Not only the breast and all the under plnmagc had a deep roseate tinge, but 

 also the primaries, the two first of which, including the shafts of the feathers, were of 

 a very deep jnnk ; each succeeding primary, after these, became gradually of a paler 

 hue : the second primary was one-third of an inch longer than the fii'st. The bill, 

 tarsi, and toes of this bii-d were of as brilliant an arterial blood-red as in the month 

 of June. 



Inland and Sea Feeding, Sj'c. 



Every month I have seen these gulls frequenting ploughed 

 fields, which they are most partial to when the plough is at work. 

 The following notes bear in part on this subject : — 



Hov. 27, 1840. — During a ride, when the tide was beginning 

 to ebb, I saw about 200 red-legged gulls busied feeding on the 

 sandy beach between the road and Holywood Warren, Belfast 

 Bay, and on my return half an hour afterwards observed that they 

 had for this purpose kept pace with the receding tide. When 

 the gulls are on the water here they are resting, and not feed- 

 ing, this latter being performed on wing or "on their legs." 

 There were . other gulls — L. camis and L. argentakis — inter- 

 mixed with them in pursuit of food. At their rocky breeding- 

 stations, we see the last-named species at this occupation either 

 when floating buoyantly and silently on the waves, or darting 

 down screaming from the air to the surface, where there is " a play 

 of fish." 



This day was perfectly calm, with bright sunshine. As I 

 have often before observed in such weather, tlie L. rulihundus 

 was flying in numbers inland to a little distance, and feeding in 

 the fields where the plough was at work. The compact form of 

 this gull, both in body and wing, distinguishes it at a glance from 

 its congeners. 1 particularly analyzed one of the beautiful flights 

 of this — as of other gulls — when a large number of them appear 

 high in the air forming a somewhat circular body, within the cir- 

 cumference of which they seem to be passing backwards and for- 

 wards, and in all possible ways. On this occasion about sixty were 



