674 HERRING-GULLS. 
but may be on flat ground, or even on trees, as in some parts of 
North America, where the bird has been plundered by fishermen. 
The eggs, often laid by the first week in May, and up to 3 in 
number, are usually olive-brown, blotched and spotted with dark 
umber, but the ground-colour is not rarely green, pale blue, or 
reddish-buff: measurements 2°9 by 1°95 in. This species may 
sometimes be seen inland, searching for worms, slugs, grubs’ &c., 
and newly-sown grain; but its principal food is obtained along the 
shore or on the sea, and its trivial name is supposed to be owing to 
its habit of following shoals of herring-fry. Like other large Gulls, 
it is a great robber of eggs, and it has largely contributed to the 
decrease of the Gannets on Lundy Island. 
The adult male in -summer has the head, tail and under-parts 
white ; mantle french-grey ; secondaries tipped with white ; outer 
primaries chiefly black, with white tips and large sub-apical 
‘mirrors,’ while a pale grey ‘wedge’'runs down their inner webs, 
and increases in size on each successively, until the grey becomes 
the predominating colour; bill yellow, red at the angle; orbital- 
ring pale yellow ; legs and feet flesh-coloured. Length 24 in., wing 
17°5 in., tarsus 2°5, middle toe with claw 2°6in. The female is 
smaller. In winter the head and neck are streaked with grey. 
The young are mottled with brown, and full plumage is acquired (at 
least in captivity) by the fifth year. 
An example of the YELLOW-LEGGED HERRING GULL, Larus 
cachinnans, Pallas, in the collection of Mr. Connop, of Rollesby 
Hall, Great Yarmouth, was shot on Breydon Water, on Novem- 
ber 4th 1886 (Zool. 1897, p. 572). I have examined the specimen. 
This species frequents the coasts of Europe from the Gulf of 
Gascony southward, Madeira (and probably the Azores), the Canaries 
and North-west Africa, the entire basin of the Mediterranean, the 
Black Sea, the Caspian-Aral region, and eastward to Lake Baikal 
(breeding); while in winter it visits the west side of Africa to Angola, 
the Red Sea, the Persian waters, and India to the Bay of Bengal. 
In nidification and habits this Gull resembles Z. argentatus. In 
plumage it differs in having a darker mantle, while the ring round 
the eye and the gape are bright orange-red, the yellow and red of 
the bill are very bright, and the tarsi and toes are brilliant yellow. 
Length 23 in., wing 18, tarsus 2°75, middle toe with claw 2°65 in. The 
young are like those of our Herring-Gull, but a distinctly yellow tint 
is noticeable on the tarsi and feet in the second year (gf Cat. B, 
Brit. Mus. xxv. p. 268). 
