The Gulls. 
The Great Black-backed Gull. 
THE GREAT 
BLACK-BACKED 
GULL. 
(Lants mcirinus.) 
This is the largest species of British Gull, and is easily 
distinguished by its dimensions. The black back and white 
head, as well as the large white tip to the first primary are also 
characters by which it may be told, while the large size of the 
bill and the length of the wing (exceeding nineteen inches) will 
determine young birds in their brown plumage from those of any other British species. 
The Black-backed Gull breeds in certain parts of our southern and south-western 
coasts, but is more common in Scotland and Ireland. It is a very powerful (bird, 
and a great destroyer of the eggs and young of other species. The nest is generally 
a rough structure of grass and sea-weed on the summit of a bare rock on an islet, 
but on the Smolen Islands in North Norway I found one in the midst of the^ moss 
and ling on the top of a green islet, and in this case the nest was rather more 
elaborately made. Eggs, two or three, measuring about three inches in length, of a 
clay-brown or stone-colour, with spots of reddish-brown or black, and underlying 
grey markings. 
