424 COMMON GULL. Clafs II. 



name of Star Shot, or Star Gelly, owes its origin to 

 this bird, or fome of the kind •, being nothing but 

 the half digefted remains of earth-worms, on which 

 thefe birds feed, and often difcharge from their 

 ilomachs *. 



L.inn<£iis t p. 224. makes this fpecies fynonymous 

 with the Larus tridaElylus or tarrock ; but as we' have 

 had opportunity of examining feveral of each fpecies, 

 and find in all, thofe ftrong diftinctions remarked in 

 our defcriptions, we muft decline affenting to the 

 opinion of that eminent naturalift. 



VIII. The COMMON GULL. 



Galedor, Crocala, Galetra. Aldr. La Mouette cendree. Brijfon av. 



a<v. iii. 34. vi. 175. tab. 16. fig. i. 



Common Sea Mai!. Wil. orn. Gabbiano minore. Zinan. 115. 



345. Larus canus. Lin.JyJl. 224. 



Common Sea Mall, or Mew. Br. Zool. 142. 



Raiifyn. a*u. \z"j . 



"^HIS is the moft numerous of the genus. It 

 breeds on the ledges of the cliffs that impend 

 over the fea: in winter they are found in vaft flocks 

 Defer, on all our mores. They differ a little in fize ; one 

 we examined weighed twelve ounces and a half: its 

 length was feyenteen inches : its breadth thirty-fix ; 

 the bill yellow : the head, neck, tail, and whole un- 

 der fide of the body, a pure white : the back, and 

 coverts of the wings, a pale grey : near the end of the 

 greater quil-feathers was a black fpot: the legs a 

 dull white, tinged with green. 



* Vide Morton's Nat. Hid. ifarthampt, p 353. 



IX. The 



