Book III. %3\£1T HO LO QT, 34.5 



%. ir. 



The Herring-Gull. Laruscinereus maximus. 



IT is well nigh as big as a tame Ducl^: From tip of Bill to the end of the Toes 

 twenty four or twenty five inches long,to the end of the Tail twenty two or twen- 

 ty three : Between the terms of the Wings ftretched out fifty, and in fbme fifty five 

 inches broad. The weight was different in feveral birds, one weighing only twenty 

 fix ounces, another thirty, another thirty four. The Bill was yellow, two inches long, 

 narrow, as in the reft of this kind, but pretty deep : The lower Mandible not- 

 (height, as in other birds, but the upper edges convex or arcuate 5 underneath it 

 bunches out into an angle or knob, on the fides of which is a large fpo't of red. The 

 hides of the Eyes were of a lovely yellow. The edges of the Eye-lids in fome yel- 

 low, in Tome, ( perchance thefe were Cocks ) of a red- lead colour. The Legs in 

 fome yellow, bare of feathers for fome fpace above the knees, in others white, or of 

 a pale flefh-colour : The hind-toe fmall ; The Claws black : The inner edge of the 

 middle Claw (harp. Its Head, Neck, Rump, Tail, and whole under-fide white : 

 Its Back, the covert-feathers of its Wings, and the quil-feathers alfo, except the out- 

 moft five, of a dark alh-colour. The two outmoft quils were marked with a white 

 (pot near the tip, the outmoft with a greater, the inner with a leffer, but the very tips 

 of both were black. The tips of the fifth and fixth were dusky. All the reft had 

 white tips. [ Thefe colours in feveral Birds vary fomething : Yet in general the quil- 

 feathers in all Bird^t)f this fort are particoloured of white, black and cinereous.] 

 The Tail was about five inches long, not forked, made up of twelve feathers of equal 

 length. The Wings when gathered up reached beyond the end of the Tail, and 

 crolled one another. It had a large Craw, a mufculous Stomach, in which were 

 fifh-bones. They fay that is preys upon Herrings, whence it took the name Herring- 

 gull. It lays Eggs as big as Hens Eggs, (harp at one end, whitifh, but fpotted with a 

 few black fpots. 



In the young ones the Back and Head are afh-coloured, with black fpots, the Bill 

 black, but white at the tip. 



This fort, though it be very common with us, yet hath it not hitherto, that I know 

 of, been defcribed. 



$. III. 



The common Sea-Mall: Larus cinereus minor. 



THat which I defcribed was a Hen-bird. It weighed a full pound of fixteeri 

 ounces: It was from the beginning of the Bill to the end of the Toes fifteen 

 inches and an half long, to the end of the Tail fixteen and an half. The tips of the 

 Wings extended were forty one inches diftant from each other. It is fomething lefs 

 than the greater Gull defcribed by Aldrovand^ like to the Herring-Gull, but much lefs. 

 Its Bill was like to thofe of the reft of this kind, narrow, but deep, (harp-pointed, 

 of a whitifh colour, but yellow toward the tip. The knob under the lower Chap 

 (mall, and fcarce confpicuous, the upper Chap fomething hooked or bending at the 

 point. The Tongue cloven : The Nofthrils oblong. The Eyes were great, and 

 fumifhed with membranes for nidation 5 the Iridesota. pale hazel-colour : The Ears 

 of a mean fize ; The Feet of a pale green : The Claws black 5 that of the middle Toe 

 (harp on the inner fide : The back-toe very fmall, yet armed with a Claw. The 

 membranes connecting the Toes reached as far as the Claws. The Head and upper 

 part of the Neck were clouded with brown fpots, the nether part white : The Back 

 afh-coloured, but the feathers covering the Tail white. The Throat and whole un- 

 der-fide of the body was as white as fnow .• The Tail alfo purely white. The Shoul- 

 ders and upper covert-feathers of the Wings afh-coloured, the coverts of the under- 

 fide white. 



In each Wing were about thirty quil-feathers; the firft of which at the tip in the 

 inner Web had a black fpot, and on the outer edge a black line, fcarce appearing, 

 then followed a white bar about two inches broad, the reft of the feathers to the bot- 

 tom being black. The tip of the fecond was white : Under the white a crofs bar of 

 black, half an inch broad, beneath that a white bar of an inch breadth, the reft of the 



Yy \ feather 



