GULL. 



165 



forwards on each side; all the upper parts dusky brown ; breast and 

 under parts white, crossed with irregular, transverse dusky streaks ; 

 the two middle tail feathers very little longer than the rest ; this was 

 probably a young bird. The female is said by authors to be brown, 

 palest beneath ; the middle tail feathers only two inches longer than 

 the others.* 



This is a northern species ; is very common in the Hebrides, and 

 breeds among the heath; comes in May, and retires in August; 

 when disturbed flies about like the Lapwing, but soon alights. 

 Breeds in numbers on the Isle of Foula, where the young birds 

 are called Scories. Is found in the Orknies, and on the coasts 

 of Yorkshire, where it is called the Feaser; is likewise named Scull, 

 Badock, Scoutinallan, or Dirten-allan. It makes an artless nest of 

 grass and moss, and lays two eggs in June, which are ash-coloured, 

 marked with black spots, and the size of those of a hen ; does not 

 often swim, and generally flies in a slow manner, except it be in 

 pursuit of other birds; which it often attacks, in order to make them 

 disgorge the fish, or other food, which this common plunderer greedily 

 catches up ; and not the dung of the bird as some authors have 

 asserted, and on that account given it the name of Strunt-jager : for 

 the most part it dives with difficulty, and is not easy to be taken, 

 except when sleeping on the water; when it is secured by throwing 

 darts at it. Met with on the northern coasts of Sweden, Denmark, 

 and Russia, as far as Kamtschatka. 



Edwards received both his birds from Hudson's Bay, where he 

 informs us, that it is called the Man of War : the natives know it by 

 the name of Utay-keeash. 



* This reputed female is probably a young bird; for Fabricius says, that the male and 

 female are alike, and that he is certain of it, having brought them up. The Coprotheres 

 of the Faun. Groenl. is supposed to be the female in Iceland and Norway ; but Fabricius 

 calls it the young. We have only seen the two first described, which were in the Leverian 

 Museum. Mr. Simmonds assures us, that there is no external mark of distinction between 

 the sexes. See Lin. Trans, viii. p. 367. f Orn. Diet. Supp. 



