COBB. 



93 



Lath. Syn. 6. p. 371. 2.— Lewins Br. Birds, 6. t. 208.— Ptilt. Cat. Dorset, p. 

 18.— Wale. Syn. t. 112— Flem. Br. Anim. p. 140.* 



The weight of this species is four pounds and three quarters ; length 

 near thirty inches ; breadth five feet nine or ten inches. 



Bill bright yellow, very thick and strong, three inches and a half in 

 length ; on the lower mandible is a blood-red spot, dusky in the middle ; 

 irides fine yellow ; eyelids red-orange. The head, neck, rump, tail, and 

 whole under parts, white ; back and wing coverts dusky black ; prime 

 quills black, the first tipped with white for two inches or more, the 

 second the same, with a black bar across the white, the rest more 

 slightly tipped with white ; the secondaries are also tipped more or less 

 with white ; as are their coverts and two or three of the scapulars ; legs 

 flesh colour. 



This bird and the silvery gull, hereafter described, have hitherto been 

 confounded for the same species ; but from frequent opportunities of 

 observing their manners, as well as by dissection, proving both sexes 

 to be alike in plumage, we are able without doubt to pronounce them 

 distinct species. 



It is not a very plentiful species, but is sometimes seen on most of our 

 coasts, but no where so plentiful as on the extensive sandy flats of the 

 coast of Caermarthenshire, between Laugharne and Tenbeigh, where 

 we have seen it at all times of the year. 



They generally keep in small flocks of eight or ten, sometimes in pairs, 

 but never herd with the other gulls. 



It was natural to believe, as they were seen on that coast all the 

 summer, they must breed somewhere near, but in our researches from 

 that part as far as St. David's we could not discover where they bred, 

 but were informed by the fishermen, that they breed on the steep 

 Holmes, and on Lundy Islands in the Bristol channel. The silvery 

 gull, as well as the herring gull, we found the nests of in great abun- 

 dance but none of these birds were to be seen in the same places. 



The young, for the first two or three years, are mottled all over with 

 brown and white ; the bill is light horn colour, tip black ; quill-feathers 

 dusky ; tail mottled, near the end a dusky bar ; tips white ; irides and 

 orbits dusky. We shot several birds of this description in company 

 with them, of both sexes, their weight and size little inferior ; and as 

 these are always found to associate with them, and as there is no other 

 species of gull half so large, there can be no doubt of its being the 

 young of this bird. 



In this imperfect state this has been described *by some authors for 

 a distinct species, under the title of Wagel ; others who have not con- 



