140 
BIRDS. PALMIPIDES. 
Laeus. 
** Quills black a?id white. 
225. L. marinus. Black-backed Gull. — Length 30, breadth 
70 inches ; tarsus flesh coloured, 2j^^th inches ; on the symphysis 
of the lower jaw a red spot with a dark centre. 
L. maximus. Will. Orii. 261. Sibb. Scot. 20. — L. mar. Linn. Syst. i. 225. 
Penn. Brit. Zool. ii. 528. Temm. Orn. ii. 760. — Cobb; Gull 
Maw ; W., Gwylangefn ddie; N. Swabie, Bawgie, Svvarthback. — Resi- 
dent. 
Bill 4 inches long, light yellow. Irides and orbits yellow. Head, neck, 
rump, tail, and below white : back and wing-covers bluish-black. Quills black, 
tipped and barred with white. Female similar — Nest on inaccessible cliffs 
and islands. Eggs olive-green, with dusky blotches. Young mottled brown 
and white — This species is fond of carrion, and will even venture to destroy 
weak lambs. Generally solitary or in pairs. 
226. J^.J'uscus. Yellow-legged Gull. — Length 24, breadth 
54 inches ; tarsus yellow, 2/^ th inches long. Orange spot of 
the symphysis destitute of the dark centre. 
Linn. Syst. i. 225. — Var. of L. mar., Penn. Brit. Zool. iL 529 L. argen- 
tatus, or Lesser Black-backed Gull, Mont. Orn. Diet L. fuscus, 
Temm. Orn. ii. 767-— Resident. 
Weight pounds. Bill, legs, and irides yellow ; orbits red. Head, neck, 
rump, tail and below white ; back and wings bluish-black ; quills black, the 
point of the first white, with a black tip ; the second similar, with only a white 
spot in the black ; the others are very slightly tipped with white ; two or 
three of the scapulars are also tipped with white. The wing exceeds the tail 
by 2 inches. Female similar. — Nest on islands, gregarious. Eggs 2, olive- 
brown, with dusky blotches — Young mottled brown and white This species 
was first noticed as British by Pennant, who was uncertain whether it was a 
variety of marinus.^ or a distinct species. Montagu first illustrated its charac- 
ters with precision. 
227. L. argentatus. Herring-Gull. — Length 24, breadth 
56, tarsus flesh-coloured, 2| inches. Bill yellov/ ; orange spot 
on the symphysis destitute of the dark centre. 
Herring-Gull, Penn. Brit. Zool. ii. 535 — L. ar. Temm. Orn. ii. 764 
Resident. 
Weight about 2 pounds. Irides yellow; orbits red. Head, neck, rump, 
tail and below white ; back and wings bluish-grey ; quills dusky, black towards 
the ends, with a white spot. Wings a little longer than the tail.' Female si- 
milar — Nest on islands. Eggs 2, olive-brown, with dusky blotches. Young 
mottled brown and white. In this state it has been termed Wagel — This 
species has frequently been confounded with the preceding. This seems to 
be the case in the Larus cinereus maximus. Will. Orn. 262. I have found in 
the stomach of this species a considerable quantity of wheat. 
2. Smaller Gulls., less than 20 mches in length. 
228. L. canus. Common Gull. — I.ength of the tarsus 2 
inches. Wings longer than the tail ; the two outer quills with 
black shafts. 
L. cinereus minor. Will. Orn. 262, Sibb. Scot. 20 — L. canus, Linn. Syst. 
i. 224. — Penn. Brit. Zool. ii. 538. Temm. Orn. ii, 77h — Resident, 
common. 
