In the first place, it is not entirely accurate to imply that British authors 
were originally responsible for adopting a 'lumping' classification for the 
Old World forms (in sharp contrast to the 'splitting' classification still 
used for comparable North American birds presenting similar problems), 
since the southern populations were originally treated as a distinct 
species, the Yellow-legged Herring Gull L cachinmns, as in the 
representative first guide to all seabirds. Birds of the Ocean, by WB 
Alexander (1928), until they were amalgamated by B Stegmann in 1934 
(/. Om. 82:340-380). In consequence it is now widely felt here that the 
need for any further revision should be demonstrated much more 
conclusively. 
Secondly, this problem does not only involve the number of forms that 
we are dealing with, and their relation to each other, but also which 
scientific name then has priority for each of them. Thus while the 
Armenian Gulls 'L armenicus' currently sitting beside us seem rather 
different from the Yellow-legged Gulls, they also appear to intergrade 
imperceptibly through a mass of birds apparently belonging to the ill- 
defined intermediate forms harhensis, taimyrensis, and probably 
mongolensis, with another longer-recognised entity, Heuglin's Gull L 
heuglim, so that if they are considered conspecific but distant from the 
Lesser Black-back this name would appear to have priority for all of them 
(Proceedings of the Second Mediterranean Seabird Symposium on the 
Status and Conservation of Seabirds: Ecogeography and Action Plan, 
Calvia, 21-26 March 1989, Ardeola suppl. in press). 
In the circumstances it really seems much safer to refer to such birds by 
nice neutral descriptive terms such as 'forms' and 'groups' until it 
becomes possible to secure much wider general agreement on not only 
their relationship to each other but also their nomenclature. 
Dr WRP Bourne, RFA Sir Percivale, BFPO Ships, UK. 
Reviews 
Turkey including Cyprus June 5th-19th 1989. T Broome et al A privately 
produced report of 27 pages including 10 pages of maps. £3. Available 
from T Broome, 'Sibirica', 9 Vicarage Lane, Poynton, Cheshire SK12 IBG, 
UK. Profits from sales go to the Cheshire Ornithological Society. 
Turkey has become a very popular destination for European birders in recent 
years and innumerable trip reports are now available. This report from a 1989 trip 
is perhaps the best. 
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