Birds. 245 



to assume the brown cap of spring in place of the mottled pate which 

 he had worn all winter. Since my acquaintance with this species, 1 

 have frequently inspected large flocks of black-headed gulls, but have 

 never been so fortunate as to meet with another masked gull. 



Thomas Gough. 

 Kendal, June, 1843. 



Note on the Habits of the Black-headed Gtill.^' 

 By Archibald Jerdon, Esq. 



The Black-headed Gull, {Larus ridihundus). 



\ COLONY of black-headed gulls breeds in a large marsh at An- 

 crum, in this neighbourhood. They arrive at their summer quarters 

 generally in the month of March, and leave us again about the end 

 of July. 



During the spring months they chiefly follow the plough, after the 

 manner of rooks, for the purpose of obtaining worms and insects. — 

 Many of them also may be seen at this season by the river side. 



In summer, they frequent water a good deal more. Multitudes are 

 to be seen at all times by the river Teviot, which is their chief resort, 

 but they often make excursions up its tributary streams. When in 

 search of food by the river, they fly at the height of about ten feet or 

 so from the surface; and whenever they espy their object, whether 

 fish or insect, they lower their course, and, skimming the surface of 

 the water, pick it up. They almost always follow the windings of 

 the river. 



* This bird is the Larus ridibundus, or the Black-headed Gull, of Yarrell, Bewick, 

 Fleming, Selby, and Jenyns : it is often called the Brown-headed Gull, a name also 

 applied to the bird previously noticed.^ — Ed. 



