GREAT GULL. 185 



each other; excepting that the female is rather 

 smallest : the young differ much from the old, and 

 do not obtain their perfect plumage till the second 

 or third year, which causes great difficulty in ascer- 

 taining and describing the species ; the characters by 

 which the adult birds may be known are, the white 

 on the tail being without spots or black bands, and 

 the beak being destitute of black spots. Until the 

 third year the young live in small flocks detached 

 from the old. The appearance of Gulls far inland is 

 generally indicative of approaching severe weather or 

 storms. 



GREAT GULL ? 



(Larus ? icthysetus.) 



La.? capite collogue supremo nigris, dorso alisque grisescentibus , 



remigibus primoribus albis, exterioribus quinque apice nigris. 

 Gull ? with the head and neck above black, the back and wings 



greyish, the primary quills white, the five outer ones with 



black tips. 

 Larus icthysetus. Pallas. Gmel. Syst. Nat. 1. 599. Lath. Ind. 



Orn. 2. 811. 

 Great Gull. Lath. Gen. Syn. 6. 370. Lath. Gen, Hist. x. 132. 

 Misamichus Pallasii. Leach, MSS. ? 

 Mauve. Temni. man. a" Orn. 2 Edit. Anal. p. cviii. 



As large, or larger than the Barnacle Goose: its 

 beaky is dusk yellow at the base, and crimson towards 

 the tip, with the tip itself yellow ; and a dusky- 

 brown spot near it : i rides brown : the eyelids white: 



