GUL 
G UL 
Gull, Common; theLarus Canus of Linnaeus. 
This bird, which is the moft numerous of the ge- 
nus, breeds on the ledges of cliffs that impend the 
fea; and, during the winter feafon, frequents almoft 
every part of the Britifii coafts where the high, 
-bold fhores, prefent a favourable fituation. Like 
other rapacious birds, it lays but few eggs; which 
circumftance, added to the numbers continually 
deftroyed for fubfiftence, has in many places dimi- 
niftied the breed. It generally meailires about le- 
venteen inches in length, and thirty-fix in breadth: 
the bill is yellow; the head, neck, tail, and the 
whole under- fide of the body, are pure white; the 
back, and the coverts of the wings, are grey; and 
the legs are a dull white tinged with green. 
Gull, Black-Backed ; the Larus Marinus of 
Linnaeus, This fpecies is about twenty-nine inches 
long, and the expannon of the wings almoil five 
feet nine inches. The bill, which is very flrong 
and thick, is of a pale yellow colour; the irides are 
yellow; the head, the neck, the whole under-fide, 
the tail, and the lower part of the back, are white ; 
the upper part of the back and wings are black ; 
the quill-feathers are tipt with white ; and the legs 
. are of a pale flefh-colour. 
The Black-Backed Gull inhabits various parts 
of the Britifh coafts, and breeds in the highefc 
cliffs. It principally fubfifts on fifli ; but, for want 
of more agreeable food, it vv^iii devour carrion. 
Gull, Brown and Ferruginous; the Larus 
Cataraftes of Linnaeus. This bird inhabits Nor- 
way, the Ferro Iflands, Shetland, and the South 
Sea. It is the moil formidable of all the Gull 
kind, preying not only on fillies, but alfo on all 
the leffer kinds of water-fowl ; and, according to 
fome authors, on domeflic poultry and lambs. It 
poffeffes all the native fiercenefs of the eagle in de- 
fence of it's young; and, when the inhabitants of 
the Ferro Ifles vifit it's neft, we are told that it at- 
tacks them with the utmoft intrepidity; and will 
rufh on a knife, or any other inftrument which 
is held up for their defence. 
In the craggy ifle of Foula, a little weft of 
Shetland, this bird is religioufly preferved, becaufe 
it defends the flocks of the natives from eagles, 
which it purfues with fo much animofity, that 
even thefe very rapacious birds feldom venture 
near it's abode; and on this account the inhabi- 
tants impofe a fine on any perfon who deftroys one 
of thefe Gulls. 
This fingular fpecies, which Pennant calls the 
Skua Gull, is about two feet long, and four and a 
half broad: the bill is upwards of two inches in 
length, hooked at the end, and extremely fharp; 
the upper mandible is covered more than half it's 
extent with a black cere; and the noftiils, which 
are placed near the bend, are pervious. The plu- 
mage on the head, neck, back, fcapulars, and 
coverts of the wings, is a deep brown, marked 
with ruft-colour; the fhafts of the primaries are 
white; their ends are principally brown, the lower 
parts on both fides being white; and the feconda- 
ries are marked in like manner, forming a great 
bar of white. The breaft, belly, and vent, are 
ferruginous, tinged with afli -colour; the tail, when 
fpread, is circular, and of a deep brown colour, 
except the fhafts of the feathers, which are white; 
the legs are covered with great black fcales ; and 
the talons are ftrong, crooked, and black. 
Gull, Black-Toed ; the Cepphus of Aldro- 
vandus. The Black-Toed Gull is a rare fpecies 
in this country, A bird of this kind was formerly 
fliot near Oxford, and communicated to the Royal 
Society, It is about fifteen inches long, and 
thirty-nine broad : the bill is an inch and a half in 
length; the upper mandible is covered with a 
brown cere for a confi.derable way; and the extre- 
mity is brown and hooked. The head and neck 
are of a dirty white colour; the hind part of the 
latter being plain, and the reft- marked with oblong 
dun<:y fpots. The breaft and belly are white, in- 
terfered with numerous duflcy and yellowifli lines; 
the plumage on the fides and vent is barred tranf- 
vcrfely v^/ith black and white; the back, fcapulars, 
and coverts of the wings and tail, are black, beau- 
tifully edged with white; the fhafts and tips of the 
quill-feathers are white; the tail is compofed of 
twelve black feathers tipt with white, the tv/o mid- 
dlcmoft being nearly an inch longer than the reft; 
the legs are of a blucifii lead-colour; and the lower 
part of the toes and webs are black. 
Gull, Arctic; the Larus Parafiticus of Lin- 
nsus. The length of tliis fpecies is about twenty- 
one inches; and the bill, which is about an inch 
and a half long, is duflcy, and pretty much hooked 
at the end. In the male, the crown of the head 
is black; the back, wings, and tail, are duflcy; the 
hind-part of the neck, and the whole under-fide 
of the body, are white: the tail confifts of twelve 
feathers, the tv/o middlemoft of which are confi- 
derably the longeft; and the legs are fmall, fcaly, 
and black. The female is entirely brown; anci 
the centre feathers of the tail are about two in- 
ches fliorter than in the male. 
Linnfsus, notv/ithftanding his ufliai accuracy, 
has fcparated this bird from it's mate, and made it 
a fynonym to his larus cataraftes, a bird very dif- 
ferent from this fpecies. 
The Ar6lic Gull is very comm.on in the He- 
brides; and is alfo feen in the Orkneys, and on the 
coaft of Yorkfnire. All naturalifts who mention 
this fowl, agree t'-.-^t it inftinctiveiy purfues the 
leffer Gulls with fuch unceafing perfeverance, that 
they em.it their excrements through fear, which it 
catches up, and devours before they reach the v/a- 
ter. 
Gull, Herring; the Larus Fufcus of Lin- 
naeus. The length of this fpecies is twenty-three 
inches, and the breadth fifty-two ; the bill is yel- 
low; the irides are ftraw-coloured ; and the edg-es 
of the eye-lids are red. The head, neck, and tail, 
are white; the back, and the coverts of the wings, 
are cinereous; and the legs are of a pale fieih- 
colour. ' 
The Herring Gull forms a large neft, of wi- 
thered grafs, on the cliffs which overhang the fea; 
and in it lays three eggs of a dirty white colour fpot- 
tcd v/ith black. The young, which are afti-co- 
loured fpotted with brown, do not affume their pro- 
per colours till they are one year old: a circum- 
ft-ance indeed common to other gulls; and which, 
not being properly attended to, has occafioned 
confiderable confufion among naturalifts. 
This Gull is very deftrudive to fifti, particu- 
larly to that fpecies from which it receives it's 
name. 
Gull, Great, Grey, or Wagel; the Larus 
Nasvius of Linn^us. There are feveral varieties 
of this fpecies, differing chiefly in fize; fom.e 
weighing upwards of three pounds, and others not 
much above two. The bill is black; the irides 
are dufl<;y ; the whole plumage of the head and 
body, above and below, is a mixture of white, 
afti-colour, and brown; the quill-feathers are 
blackj 
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