388 



8 



a nest in a deserted Crow's (Corvus comix) nest on a Crataegus bush, near the shore, about ten 

 feet from the ground ; and, according to the peasants, the same pair had nested there several 

 successive years. Mr. Collett also observed a pair near Trondhjem, in Norway, in the summer of 

 1868, which had taken possession of an old Crow's nest on the top of a fix tree. The eggs were 

 taken out of this nest ; and the Gull laid another lot in the same nest. Mr. Collett further writes 

 that he has known the old birds to perch on trees when any were growing near the nest. In 

 Dresser's collection is a large series of eggs, obtained in the Faeroes by Mr. H. C. Muller, and on 

 the coasts of Finland by Dresser himself. These eggs average in size about 2^g- by 1 •§-§ inch, and 

 are brownish olive in colour, marked with dull violet-brown underlying shell-patches and over- 

 lying dark brown spots and dabs. Mr. Benzon informs us that he has in his collection pale 

 bluish-white varieties, which have very faint shell-markings and a few small scattered surface- 

 spots, and one egg pale bluish white, unspotted. The measurements he gives as from 52 by 40 

 to 62'5 by 46 millimetres, one unusually large variety measuring 66 - 5 by 38-5. 



The yelk of the egg, when fresh, is rich orange-yellow, not nearly so dark as the yelk of 

 L. ridibundus ; and the eggs are excellent eating. 



Dr. E. Key informs us that he has measured fifty eggs of this Gull, which in size average 

 58'4 by 41"5 millimetres, the largest measuring 64 - 75 by 41-25, and the smallest 53'5 by 40*75 

 millimetres respectively. 



We may here remark that Mr. Collett informs us that he has been investigating the nature 

 of the food given to the newly hatched young, and examined the contents of the stomachs of 

 three sets of nestlings in down : the first of these, procured on the Foldenfjord on the 1st of July, 

 1871, were all gorged to the mouth with a species of amphipodous crustacean {Hyale nilssonii) ; 

 the second brood, from the same locality, had been fed on the larvae of Noctuce and Tipulidce ; 

 and the third, a brood of newly hatched young, had been fed exclusively on fish. 



In the Plate, we have figured the adult bird in summer plumage in the foreground, and the 

 young, as well as the adult bird in winter plumage, in the background. The adult birds described 

 and figured are in Dresser's collection, and the immature bird, as also the young in down, in the 

 collection of Mr. Howard Saunders. 



In the preparation of the above article we have examined the following specimens : — 



jB Mus. H. E. Dresser. 



a, J. Lecko, Sweden, May 27th, 1868. b, $ juv. Oland, Sweden, May 16th, 1869. c,d,juv. etjun. Pagham, 

 Sussex (R. B. S). e, $ ad. Central Russia {Sabanaeff) . f, 6 ad. Smyrna, Asia Minor, December 19th, 

 1871 {Dr. Kruper) . 



E Mus. Howard Saunders. 



a, <3 juv. Hempstead, b, 6,c, $ , d. Orkneys, May. e,juv. Orkneys, September. f,juv. Orkneys, December 

 {Dunn), g. Asia Minor, h. Amoy {R. Swinhoe). i,pullus. Orkneys {Dumr). 



E Mus. J. H. Gurney,jun. 



a,b. Greatham. c,d,S- Bamborough, April. e,f. Rye, Sussex, g. North Wales [J: H. G.,jun.). h,pullus. 

 Orkneys {Dunn). 



