Birds of Gambia. 
207 
Anous stolidus. NODDY. 
Ranffc. Tropical and Juxta-tropical seas of the world. (H.L.) 
Tho Noddy is so puiely an ocveanic bird tJiat. perhaps I ought 
not to as much as montion its name even as a posisiblle Gamhian 
bird. 
Closely allied to the true Terns fire the Skimmers, nota'blei 
for their paper-kiiife-like Lills with elongated lower mandibles. 
Rhtjnchops fluriroslris. EED-BEAKED SKIMMER. 
Banffe. Africa, north to the Red Spa and Egypt. (H.L). 
The Skimmer is known to ocx'ur in the Gambia, but I have 
ne^•er yet to my knowledge sean it here, though I once wa.s shown 
a, skin obtained in the neighbouring Casamanoe River. 
Of the true Gulls the four following species inhahit the 
Gaimbia. 
Larus carhimm>i.s. YELLOW-LEGGED HERRING GULL. 
Banffe. South Europe, Black Sea east to Ijake Baikal; North- 
west India to Bombay; Red Sea; West Africa in winter. (H.L). 
This is a geographical race of the Herring' Gull (L. arffenfa- 
tus). In the adult the mantle is grey, the head white or spotted 
with grey; telow white. 
L. fuscus. LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL. 
Banffe. Western Europe to the River Dwina, Canaries, West 
Africa and Red Sea in winter. (H.L.) 
Tho mantle is grey, the head white. Neither of these species 
have any 'black or gi-ey on the head ; in the two following', the head 
is brownish-black or grey in summer, and traces of this usually re-, 
main through the winter. 
L. ridibundus. LAUGHING GULL. 
Banffe. Europe and Asia; Africa, Indian Ocean, China to 
Malaya in winter. (H.L.) 
Miantle pale gi^ey in the adult; ihead lirownish black; first 
quil white with tlack edges and tip. 
L. nrrhocephalufi. GREY-CAPPED GULL. 
Bfimffe. South America, Africa. (H.L.) 
Among the Gulls to be seen on the beach at Eathurst ft'om about 
November to May one recognises three different kinds. (1) the 
lalrgest. is pure white when adult with feriey and black' wings, 
the tips of the flights being 'barred with black and whifce|, and has 
a pale yiellow bill and legs. When young (the great majority of 
those one sees) the plumage is heavily mottled all over with browtn. 
This I take to be L. Gachinnan-i. (2) smaller, French grey in 
coloutr with a French grey face and pink leig's. (.3) about tliei 
same size as the last, grey above and white below and with a black 
eye-streak. These I imagine to be L. cirrhoceplialus and ridib- 
undus respectively, the former being quite the commonest of our 
Gulls and to be seen any day neiarly all the year round. L. fnsr.u.<^, 
the Lesser Black-backed Gull is much less common than any of the 
others. 
