Birds. 977 



appearance ; for while the feathers of the crown of the head would 

 seem to have changed their colour, inasmuch as some are still edged 

 with white, some with a lighter shade only of the colour of the fea- 

 ther, and there are no young feathers growing up ; all the front of the 

 throat and the sides below the level of the gape, are thickly studded 

 with young dark feathers, the full-grown feathers being still pure white. 

 There are, however, on one side, just above the level of the gape, a 

 few young dark feathers, which are tipped with white. This would 

 favour the notion that the change on the crown of the head had been 

 effected by the growth of new feathers ; that the change having com- 

 menced there, the old feathers were all shed ; and that the plumage 

 of that part would have retained through the summer its present mot- 

 tled appearance. The rest of the plumage is that of an adult bird. 



The Black-headed Gull is common during winter, especially if the 

 weather be severe. 



The Kittiwake also is common throughout the winter. 



The common Gull also passes the winter with us ; associating with 

 the kittiwake and black-headed gull. 



The Lesser Black-backed Gull is very abundant during the winter 

 months, even more so than the herring gull, with which it frequently 

 associates. I have observed both these birds, when coasting along 

 in search of food, almost invariably fly up-wind. Does not this habit 

 favour the notion of their hunting by scent ? One or two pairs only 

 remain to breed on the Freshwater cliffs. 



The Herring Gull remains with us all the year, and breeds in great 

 numbers on the Freshwater and Culver cliffs. A writer in the ' Field 

 Naturalist's Magazine ' (ii. 74) has given some account of the " Cal- 

 bourne Gull," which is both interesting and correct, except as to its 

 species. He has stated it to have been either Larus hybernus or L. 

 rissa ; but I am informed by those who knew the bird, and are com- 

 petent judges, that it most certainly was the herring gull (L. argen- 

 tatus). The following history of this bird is from the pen of Miss 

 Simeon, daughter of Sir R. Simeon, Bart., and cannot fail to prove in- 

 teresting to your readers, as illustrative both of the docility and of the 

 longevity of the herring gull. " Phil was bought in the year 1802 or 

 1803, by grandmamma Barrington, of some boys, who brought him in 

 a basket with his wing clipped. She was then living at the Rectory. 

 Phil grew so tame that he used to sit on the mat, in the middle win- 

 dow of the drawing-room, between mamma and aunt Jane, whilst they 

 worked, seated on two stools at the open window. He used to go in- 

 to the village, and John Price, who kept the little shop, would give 



