audouin's gull. 93 



This Gull inhabits the Mediterranean Sea, where it 

 may generally be found in Corsica, Sardinia, and more 

 rarely in Sicily. M. Temminck, who is my authority 

 for these localities, further adds that it is common in 

 the Gulfs of Valinco and Figari, at Porto Vecchio, 

 and the mouths of the Bonifacio. Dr. Lindermayer 

 includes it among the Grecian birds, on the authority 

 of Erhardt; and Lord Lilford says a fine specimen 

 was killed near Corfu, in May, 1857, and, though he 

 saw no other specimens, he believes it to be un- 

 common there, ("Ibis," vol. ii, p. 25o.) Savi introduces 

 it into the Ornitologia Toscano. On the African coast 

 we find it mentioned by Mr. Taylor (''Ibis," vol. ii, 

 p. 54,) as occurring near Cairo; and it is included in 

 Captain Loche's Algerian catalogue. Mr. Tristram saw 

 it about Caifia Bay, on the Syrian coast. 



This Gull feeds upon fish, molluscs, and Crustacea. 

 It breeds among the rocks, on the borders of the sea, 

 and lays three or four eggs, which, according to Tem- 

 minck, vary in their colour from yellowish white to a 

 greenish grey, sprinkled with brown spots. It is 

 sometimes found quite white, or bluish, without spots. 

 It is, in fact, as Mr, Tristram writes me word, exactly 

 like that of our Lesser Black-backed Gull, f Larus 

 fuscus.J 



The following is Temminck's description: — Head and 

 neck of both sexes in winter white, covered with a 

 number of ash-coloured strise; the crop, the neck, the 

 flanks, abdomen, rump, and tail, pure white; the pri- 

 maries black, tipped with white, and with a white spot 

 on the interior web of the first: the back, the 

 scapularies, the wing coverts, and the secondaries are 

 of a bluish ash; the wings pass the end of the tail 

 three inches; the beak is of a lake red, with two 



