748 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



Resident. In Scotland breeds from Solway and north of Forth 

 northwards on low coasts and freshwater lochs on mainland and 

 islands. In Ireland small colonies in coast districts, Donegal, Sligo, 

 Mayo, and Connemara, Loughs Conn and Mask, and Blaskets 

 (Kerry). Common and more widely distributed winter. 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Breeds in Northern Europe and Asia, 

 north to 67°-70°, south to Frisian Isles, Jutland, Mecklenburg, 

 Russian Baltic Provinces, and even south Russia. In autumn and 

 winter to Mediterranean basin and Canaries (casual), Mle Valley, 

 and Persian Gulf ; rare in Iceland, once in Labrador. Replaced by 

 L. c. brachyrhynchus in western N. America, by L. c. major in Siberia.* 



LARUS ARGENTATUS 



452. Larus argentatus argentatus Pontopp. — THE HERRING- 

 GULL. 



Lartjs Argentatus Pontoppidan, Danske Atlas, 1, p. 622 (1763 — 



Denmark ).f 



Larus argentatus Gmelin, Yarrell, in, p. 618 ; Saunders, p. 673. 



Description. — Adult male and female. Winter. — Whole head and 

 hind-neck white streaked brown, streaks on hind-neck wider and 

 sparser than on crown and sometimes absent, those on throat sparser 

 and sometimes absent but sometimes extending on to upper-breast ; 

 mantle, back, and scapulars pale blue-grey, lower scapulars tipped 

 white ; rump, upper tail-coverts and rest of under-parts including 

 under wing-coverts white ; tail white ; primaries : 1st (un- 

 developed) blue-grey with white outer web, 2nd (outer) brown-black 

 with base of inner web ashy blue -grey extending in varying degree 

 along inner edge towards tip, tip (40-60 mm.) white, with sub- 

 terminal black band of varying width, often incomplete and 

 restricted to spots of varying size on both or only one web and 

 sometimes with no black, 3rd brown-black with grey at base of 

 both webs and extending on inner web further towards tip than in 

 2nd, extreme tip white, a subterminal white oval (" mirror ")■ 

 varying in size, sometimes across both webs, more usually confined 

 to inner web, sometimes restricted to small spot and occasionally 

 absent, 4th as 3rd but blue-grey extending further towards tip and 

 no " mirror," 5th with blue -grey still more extended and becoming 

 whitish on inner web where it joins black tips, 6th as 5th but black 

 restricted to a subterminal band, rest blue-grey with white tips, 



* Breeding specimens, which I have examined, in Mr. H. Leyborne 

 Popham's collection show that this form extends as far west as the Yenesei. — 

 H.F.W. 



•f" Pontoppidan' s diagnosis is brief, but undoubtedly acceptable for this 

 species, while Briinnich's better description in 1764 confirms it ; Pontoppidan 

 got most of his names from Briinnich's MS., and for the most part described 

 the same specimens. Pontoppidan's name L. rarius appears a few lines 

 above his argentatus, but is based on Brisson vi, pi. 15, which represents a 

 young gull, the description and figure of which are conflicting and the species- 

 uncertain. — E.H., H.F.W. 



