GULL. 147 



white; the middle of each feather brown, beneath much the same, 

 but paler; quills black ; the lower part of the tail mottled black 

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

 legs dirty flesh-colour ; in some white. There is very little doubt of 

 this being the immature Black-backed Gull ;* an opinion has been 

 entertained of its being the female of that bird, and accounts given 

 of the incubation, and egg considered as such.t but how far to 

 reconcile this we know not, otherwise than by supposing it possible 

 to breed before it acquires maturity, which it probably does not gain 

 till the third year, and we have seen birds in the intermediate state, 

 in which the general colour was more uniform, with a considerable 

 tinge of deep lead-colour on the scapulars and wing coverts ; and 

 such were most likely in the second season of plumage. 



The Black-backed Species, or one pretty nearly corresponding, 

 also found in New South Wales. 



Mr. Hooker informs us, that these birds breed by thousands, on 

 two tine black, insulated rocks,J in the middle of the immense Lake 

 of Thingevalle, in Iceland, under the name of Svart Bakr. Once 

 seen by our late voyagers high up in Baffin's Bay. 



12 —ICELAND GULL. 



Iceland Gull, JVem. Trans, iv. pt. 1. p. 176. 



IN Mr. Bullock's Museum was a Gull about the same size as 

 that called the Wage], yet differing in many particulars. The bill 

 is longer, yellow, but without the red patch ; general colour of the 

 plumage dirty white, irregularly marked with brown spots; the 

 under parts of the body darker than the upper; quills wholly white; 

 tail even, marked with brown and white irregularly; quills and tail 

 equal in length ; legs bare one inch above the knee, and yellow. 



* Faun, groenl. f Lewin. + Called Sandsey and Nesey. The lake 



said to be fifteen miles long, and from five to twelve wide. — Tour in Iceland, p. 81. 



U 2 



