380 THE BIRDS OF DEVOy. 



who are now agreed that the full adult dress is not reached until the 

 third spring : and as the birds moult twice each year it would not be until 

 after the sixth moult that the perfect plumage is attained, and even then, 

 after the full dress is reached, there is a further annual change, as the 

 adults in winter-time, instead of having the heads pure white, have them 

 streaked with dark grey. 



In its second year's plumage the Common Gull was once considered a 

 distinct species and given the name of the " Winter Gull." Col. Montagu 

 greatly interested himself in the changes of plumage of the Herring- and 

 Common Gulls, and bykeepiug live examples, and watching them through 

 their various moults, solved the difficulties presented. This excellent 

 naturalist thought that it was not until the autamn of their third year that 

 these Gulls reached their complete jdumage with perfectly white tails, and 

 a Herring-Gull kept by him did not assume its full dress until its fifth 

 year ; but it is a matter of question whether birds kept in confinement are so 

 regular and forward in the moulting-process as birds in a state of freedom. 



The Common Gull is not one of those species which nest upon the 

 cliffs, preferring a flat surface, generally by the side of some mountain 

 loch, for its breeding-station. It makes rather a large nest upon the 

 ground of grass, sea-pinks, &c., and its eggs, like those of all other GuUs, 

 vary greatly in colour and markings. It breeds commonly in the north of 

 Scotland ; in a few places in Ireland : and is generally dispersed during the 

 nesting-season over the north of Europe. 



Greater Black-backed Gull. Lams marinus, Linn. 



[Saddle-back (Ese), Cobb {X. X>.).] 



Partially resident. Some few pairs breed on Lundy Island, and it 

 seems to have formerly nested on the clifts at Bolt Head (Yarrell's B. 

 Birds, 2nd ed. iii. p. 503). 



The Greater Black-backed Gull is a winter visitor to the coast near 

 Plymouth, and is most frequently seen after storms in winter and spring 

 on the estuaries. It seldom flocks, being generally seen singly or in 

 pairs. According to Mr. J. Gatcombe, the young birds usually arrive 

 after Christmas, increasing in numbers until spring, when the adults 

 appear in pairs, just before leaving for their breeding-places. This 

 splendid bird is to be seen all the year on the jS'orth Devon coast, but 

 never in any great numbers ; sometimes a solitary one may be seen stalking 

 upon the sands, at other times a pair, but it is rare to see more than two 

 together. A pair or two nest on Lundy Island, but we have no know- 

 ledge of any breeding-station anywhere upon the mainland. Off tho 

 Lighthouse on Braunton Burrows, Herring-Gulls and Grey Crows used 

 often to be seen engaged in carrying mussels up into the air and dropping 

 them upon the rocks in order to break the shells, and we have frequently 

 seen a Greater Black-backed Gull joining with them in this amuse- 

 ment. This large Gull is extremely wary, and an adult can be secured 



