230 



GREY GULL. 



These birds are sometimes seen in small flocks on our coasts in 

 winter, as also in the marshes and fens contiguous to the sea. Some 

 few are supposed to remain with us all the summer, and to breed in 

 our fens, from whence we received an egg-, said to belong to this bird. 

 It is rather less than that of the lapwing, and not very unlike in shape 

 and colour, being of an olive-brown, covered with dusky spots all over, 

 but smaller than those of the lapwing. The greater part, however, 

 retire northward to breed, and are found in Sweden, Russia, and Si- 

 beria. It has also been observed in America, in the province of 

 New York. * Montagu conjectures that the cinereous godwit of Pennant 

 is only a variety of the Greenshank. One in the Leverian museum 

 was marked the grey godwit : it was smaller than the godwit, the bill 

 and legs shorter, the tail barred, dusky, and white nearly to the base. 

 Fleming is of opinion that the black sandpiper of Pennant is the Green- 

 shank in its winter dress. 



A very elegant variety in the possession of Mr. Bullock, had the 

 upper parts marked as usual, but darker, and the spots larger on the 

 top of the head, back, and scapulars ; the newly moulted feathers on 

 the two last, known as such by their comparative brightness, were 

 black, with the margins deeply and angularly scolloped with white, 

 the markings strong, particularly on the tertials ; tail coverts white ; 

 the rump having a mixture of dusky black and grey in bars ; the tail 

 barred with zigzag lines ; throat white ; fore part of the neck and 

 breast streaked and spotted with black, the spots increasing in size 

 on the breast ; middle of the belly white, but feathers on the side barred 

 with black ; some of the under tail coverts plain white, others barred 

 with black ; the legs appeared to have been yellowish or pale green ; size 

 and length of the bill and legs as usual. It was not noticed at what 

 season this bird was shot, but it was most probably in the spring, a 

 little before its usual time of departure, and it had just began to throw 

 out its summer plumage on the back, scapulars, and wing coverts, 

 where the spots were larger, and much better denned, than on the old 

 intermediate feathers.* 



GREENWICH SANDPIPER.— A name for the young Ruff. 



GREEN WOODPECKER.— A name for the Popinjay. 



GREEN WREN.— A name for the Wood Wren. 



GREY or GRAY.— A name for the Gadwall. 



GREY COOT-FOOTED TRINGA.— A name for the Phalarope. 



GREY FALCON.— A name for the Hen Harrier. 



GREY GODWIT.— A name for the Godwit. 



GREY GULL. — The young of the Gull in their winter plumage. 



