GULL. 1-3-5 



upper range of wing coverts, next the body, grey ; the middle series 

 brown, edged and tipped with white ; the lower grey, with white tips ; 

 bastard wing black and white; the quills deeply tipped with black, 

 frin aed with white; middle of the feathers and shafts white; outer 

 webs banded with black, inner webs dusky, but deeper ; secondaries 

 dusky, tipped with grey ; the two outer tail feathers white ; the rest 

 white, with a bar* of dusky; legs dusky; claws black. 



I received this from the late Mr. Boys, of Sandwich ; supposed 

 to be the young of the Black-headed ; as in this, as well as the Red- 

 legged, the feathers of the head and parts of the neck, which in the 

 complete bird are black, are only so for three parts of the length, 

 the tips being white ; and it is further conjectured, that birds with 

 the black heads are only in that state during the breeding season, for 

 it is certain, that such are not seen at any other time. 



According to Col. Montagu, in the first plumage the feathers are 

 more or less mottled with brown and white, which, in a short time 

 after leaving the nest, are displaced by those which are wholly white 

 underneath, the head becomes white, with an obscure spot behind 

 the ear; but the back, scapulars, and wing coverts continue mottled 

 longer. In this state it comes nearest to the description of the 

 Brown Gull, our Var. C, or last described. After this it obtains the 

 plumage of the Brown-headed, or Var. B, and when more complete 

 that of the Red-legged, or Var. A, and finally becomes the full 

 plumed bird, called the Black-headed Gull : other markings will 

 also be found in individuals in the intermediate states, which of 

 course, might give rise to further descriptions ; it is, however, neces- 

 sary to say, that the bill and legs only become red gradually, both 

 being dark-coloured in proportion as the bird is younger; the tail, 

 too, has the black bar at the end till the bird arrives at the state of 

 the Red-legged ; after which it becomes, and continues, of a pure 

 white. 



* One, shot at Romsey, the last week in December, differed in having only the outer 

 tail feather wholly white ; the rest white, with the ends, for three quarters of an inch, black. 



