GREAT liLACK-HEADED GULL. 107 



ill the "Annals and Magazine of Natural History" 

 for December of that year. 



As it has not been figured as an English specimen, 

 it will fall into the list of birds introduced into this 

 work. Its appearance on our shores is quite accidental. 

 It belongs properly to the Caspian and Red Seas, 

 and, like other large species, occasionally flies out of 

 its native localities. 



In Europe it has been observed in the Ionian 

 Islands, in Hungary, and Switzerland. Dr. Leith 

 Adams informs me that it is common on the Delta of 

 the Indus, in the Bay of Bengal, and the Indian 

 Ocean. It is in fact an Eastern species, which occa- 

 sionally wanders into Europe. 



It nests, according to Pallas, in the middle of the 

 downs on the sea-shore. It lays two or three eggs, 

 which are oblong, pale grey, with a number of light 

 or dark brow^n spots. It feeds on fish, and it has a 

 voice strong and deep, like that of a crow. 



As Mr. Ross's description was taken from the bird 

 in the flesh, I copy it from the "Zoologist:" — "Head, 

 entirely, and part of the neck pure black; the rest of 

 the neck, beneath the body, upper tail coverts, ends 

 of scapularies, and secondaries, pure white; the rest of 

 the upper surface of a pale plumbeous grey; quills 

 pure white, with the ends black and the tips Avhite, 

 which latter colour is more prominent on the first 

 quill, ^vhile the second has the black also divided 

 irregularly with white near the end; a small white 

 mark above and beneath the eyes; beak at its base 

 livid yellow, with a crimson ring-like spot near the 

 tij), which is fuscous yellow; the feet fuscous red. 

 When first obtained the circles round the eyes were red." 

 The measurements I have given in the specific diagnosis. 



