LARINiE. GAYIA. 
241 
faintly marked with grey; a black crescent before the eye, 
and a blackish-grey patch behind it. In summer, the colours 
similar, but the head and throat deep brown, becoming brown- 
ish-black behind, the lower parts slightly tinged with rose- 
colour. Young with the bill flesh-coloured, toward the end 
blackish-brown, feet brownish flesh-colour ; head and nape 
pale brown; upper parts brown, the feathers edged with 
paler ; tail white, with a broad terminal bar of dark brown. 
Male, 16, 38, 17 b 1A» lA> 1A> A- Female, 15, 36. 
This species is generally found dispersed along the shores, 
but often congregates, more especially in estuaries and near 
the mouths of rivers, during the cold season, when its food 
consists of small fishes, which it picks from the water, as 
well as Crustacea, and marine worms which it finds along 
the shores. Frequently, however, it makes incursions in- 
land, searching the pastures and ploughed fields for worms 
and larvse, especially in stormy weather. Its flight is very 
light, buoyant, and wavering. Even when solitary, it emits 
a creeking cry at intervals, but when multitudes are as- 
sembled, it becomes clamorous, their cries filling the air. 
In spring they betake themselves to particular marshes or 
lakes, on the tufts, or along the shores of which, they form 
their nests, which are composed of rushes and sedges, laying 
two or three, very rarely four eggs, of an olivaceous, oil-green, 
or light-brown colour, spotted and blotched with brownish- 
black and purplish-grey ; their length averaging two inches 
and two-twelfths, their breadth an inch and a quarter. As 
the eggs afford delicate eating, they are collected for sale. 
When the young are able to fly, they and their parents betake 
themselves to the sea-coasts. 
Black-headed Gull. Black-cap Gull. Hooded Maw. Bed- 
legged Gull. Pewit Gull. Mire Crow. Sea Crow. Pick- 
mire. Pictarn. Laughing Gull. 
Larus ridibundus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. 225; Earns cinera- 
rias, i. 224 : summer and winter.-— Larus ridibundus, Lath. 
Ind. Ornith. ii. 811. -Larus ridibundus, Temm. Man. d’Or- 
nith. ii. 780. — Gavia ridibunda, Brown-headed Mew, Mac- 
Gillivray, Brit. Birds, v. 
300. Gavia Sabini. Sabine’s Mew. 
Bill an inch in length ; tarsus an inch and a half ; wings 
two inches longer than the tail, which is forked ; bill black 
to a little before the nostrils, then yellow; outer four quills 
black, with the tips, and inner half of the inner web to near 
the end, white. In summer, the head and upper part of neck 
a 
