LARUS C ANU S. 



COMMON GULL. 



Generic Character. See Larus marinus. 



Synonyms, 



Larus Canus. Lin. Syfl. i. p. 224. 3. 



Common Gull, Br. Zool. 2. 249. tab. Sg.fol. %. Lath, 

 Syn. 6. p. 378. 8. Mont. Orn. Ditt, 

 Bewick's Br. Birds, Pt. 2. p. 197. 



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JL H I S fpecies is in length about feventeen inches, in 

 breadth about three feet, and weighs near fixteen ounces. We 

 feel confiderable difficulty in giving the fpecific characters 

 of this genus ; the diftinguifhing marks are fcarcely to be 

 defcribed, as they confift of fuch trifling minutia, that it is 

 only on the aggregate the fpecies can be fixed. The different 

 plumage thefe birds aflume at their different periods of age, 

 has occasioned confufion in the works of moft ornithological 

 writers, in many inftances fpecies have been formed from 

 the fame bird at different ages ; the accuracy of our figures 

 we hope will confiderably aflift in diftinguifhing the fpecies, 

 as they will be generally coloured from birds of mature 

 age. 



Mr. Montague, to whofe refearches we have fo often referred, 

 has perhaps taken more pains to elucidate this fubjecl: than 

 any other perfon, having kept the different fpecies till they 



have 



