376 GULL. 



plumage compofed of a mixed brown, afh-colour, and white; the 

 middle of each feather brown : the under parts of the body the 

 fame, but paler: quills black: the lower part of the tail mot- 

 tled black and white ; near the end a bar of black; beyond this 

 the end is white : legs dirty flelh-colour ; in fome white. 

 ?lace. The above frequents the fea-fhores of many parts of England, 



though not in any considerable numbers : at times feen on the 

 banks of the Thames, along with other Gulls ; and the opinion 

 there held, that it is the female of the black-backed : but this has 

 not yet been determined fufficiently by authors *. Mr. Pennant 

 feems to think the contrary ; and indeed the different markings 

 of the quills and tail do not justify the fuppofition. It feems far 

 from an eafy matter to arrange the Gulls, in refpect to their juft 

 divifion, into fpecies ; and we have much occafion to think that 

 they are considerably multiplied, by authors having recorded the 

 varieties. Of this we will mention our third, fourth, and fifth, 

 as instances. 



The black-backed and Herring Gulls fo exactly tally, except in 

 fize, that, did not authors aflure us to the contrary, we fhould at 

 once conGder them as only one. The fame may be alfo faid in 

 refpect of our Glaucous and Silvery, if compared with the Herring 

 Gull; as they fcarcely -differ, except in. a quill feather more or 

 Ids being tipped with white, and the paler or deeper colour of 

 the back and wing coverts. However, we fear that it will re- 

 quire yet fome time to afcertain the true ftate of the cafe. As 

 to the circumftance of the V/agel being the female of the black- 



* Fahricius fuppofes it to be the young of che black-backed Gull. Faun. GroenL 

 p. 102. — Linnants defcribes the Wagel z% a firlt year's bird of the Herring Gull; 

 laun. Suec. p. 54. N° 154. 



7 backed, 



