THE BLACK-HEADED GULL. 
329 
seen was shot in Belfast Bay, to-day. It was an adult bird, and the primaries being 
tipped with white, indicated (according to Temminck) that it was a very old indivi- 
dual. Not only the breast and all the under plumage had a deep roseate tinge, hut 
also the primaries, the two fir§t of which, including the shafts of the feathers, were of 
a very deep pink ; each succeeding primary, after these, became gradually of a paler 
hue : the second primary was one-third of an inch longer than the first. The bill, 
tarsi, and toes of this bird were of as brilliant an arterial blood-red as in the month 
of June. 
Inland and Sea Feeding, Sfc. 
Every month I have seen these gulls frequenting ploughed 
fields, which they are most partial to when the plough is at work. 
The following notes bear in part on this subject : — 
Nov. 27, 1840. — During a ride, when the tide was beginning 
to ebb, I saw about 200 red-legged gulls busied feeding on the 
sandy beach between the road and Holywood Warren, Belfast 
Bay, and on my return half an hour afterwards observed that they 
had for this purpose kept pace with the receding tide. When 
the gulls are on the water here they are resting, and not feed- 
ing, this latter being performed on wing or “on their legs/'’ 
There were other gulls — L. canus and L. argentatus — inter- 
mixed with them in pursuit of food. At their rocky breeding- 
stations, we see the last-named species at this occupation either 
when floating buoyantly and silently on the waves, or darting 
down screaming from the air to the surface, where there is “ a play 
of fish.” 
This day was perfectly calm, with bright sunshine. As I 
have often before observed in such weather, the L. ridibundus 
was flying in numbers inland to a little distance, and feeding in 
the fields where the plough was at work. The compact form of 
this gull, both in body and wing, distinguishes it at a glance from 
its congeners. I particularly analyzed one of the beautiful flights 
of this — as of other gulls — when a large number of them appear 
high in the air forming a somewhat circular body, within the cir- 
cumference of which they seem to be passing backwards and for- 
wards, and in all possible ways. On this occasion about sixty were 
