124 
LARIDE. 
Respecting the food of this Gidl nothing decisive is 
as yet ascertained, but from the slender form of its beak, 
and the nature of the locality it frequents, namely, the weedy 
sea-shores, we may infer that marine insects are the most 
probable components. 
The eggs of the Brown-headed Gull are said to be in every 
respect like those of the pewit gull in shape, colour, and 
markings, but considerably less in size. 
The measurements of the adult bird are fourteen inches 
and a half in length ; the beak from the forehead to the 
tip one inch two and a half lines ; the tarsus one inch six 
lines ; the middle toe, including the claw, one inch four 
lines ; the wing measures from the carpus to the end of 
the tertials seven inches five lines, to the tip eleven 
inches. 
The summer plumage of this species, the same in which Ave 
figure it, is as follows:—the forehead and occiput, chin and up¬ 
per part of the neck in front are reddish brown, darkish toAvards 
the loAver or outer edge, and forming a perfect mask, as re¬ 
presented in our Plate ; the hinder part of the head, neck, 
and all the under parts, are pure AA’hite, as well as the tail ; 
the back, scapulars, and Aving-coverts are pale ash-grey, 
passing into Avhite at the tips of the tertials; the edge 
of the Aving pure white; the first quill-feather is AA^hite AAuth 
a black tip, a black line on the middle of the outer AA^eb, 
and a greyish black border along the margin of the inner 
Aveb, being broadest toAA^ards the base; the second and 
third quill-feathers the same, but Avithout the black line 
on the outer Aveb; the fourth and fifth have a greater 
portion of greyish black on the inner Aveb ; all the quill- 
feathers, Avith exception of the first, have their extreme 
tips Avhite ; their shafts correspond in colour Avith the 
