CHROICOCEPHALUS RIDIBUNDUS. 
Black-headed Gull. 
Lams ridibundus, Lmn. Syst. Nat., tom. i. p. 225. 
cinerarius, Linn, ibid., p. 224. 
canescens, Bechst. Naturg. DeutscliL, tom. iv. p. 649. 
erythropus, Gmel. edit. Linn. Syst. Nat., tom. i. p. 597. 
capistrahis, Temm. Man. d’Orn., tom. ii. p. 785 ? 
ncevius, Pall. Zoogr. Rosso-Asiat., tom. ii. p. 321. 
Chroicocephalus ridihindus, Eyton, Cat, Brit. Birds, p. 53. 
This very elegant and interesting species is so abundantly dispersed along the shores of every part of the 
British Islands that it would be superfluous to name any particular locality in which it may be found ; it is 
equally plentiful in Holland, Scandinavia, and all other countries of the Continent, wherever the shores are 
of a similar character to our own. During the months of autumn and winter it ascends into deep bays and 
the mouths of large rivers, where it paddles about with its pretty red feet over the oozy mud in search of 
marine worms, crustaceans, and the fry of fishes, all of which it devours with avidity. If absent from such 
localities at any time, it is visiting the fields of the interior for earth-worms and insect-larvse, which are in 
equal request. In many parts it is often, like the Rook, the companion of the ploughman, and not unfre- 
quently both the sable and the silvery-bodied birds may be seen with him in the same furrow. The head 
of the Gull is now white, which on the approach of spring gradually gives place to a well-defined hood of 
black or brownish black. Hitherto the bird has been only partially gregarious ; now it becomes strictly so, 
and large masses leave, almost to a day, for various parts of the marshes and large sedgy ponds, for the 
purpose of breeding, just, in fact, as the Rooks leave extensive wastes and resort to their accustomed trees 
for the like purpose. The bird now assumes a different kind of life, and earth-worms and insect-food take 
the place of crustaceans and sea-worms. Neither the flying chafer nor the dragonfly is able to evade the sharp 
and quickly made turns ; and to watch a colony when thus engaged is a very pleasing sight. 
This fairy-like bird undergoes several changes of plumage between youth and maturity ; they have, how- 
ever been so often described that I think we may dispense with them for matters of greater moment ; but I 
may mention (although they do not always occur) that I have seen fresh-moulted specimens with the whole 
of the under surface suffused with rich rose-colour, the finest I ever saw being one sent up in a fresh state 
by W. Thompson, Esq,, of Weymouth, which, though so early in the spring as the 20th of March, had the 
black cowl quite perfect, and its bill and feet deep blood-red. When such individuals do occur, they form 
indeed most beautiful objects. In size and colouring both sexes are alike at each stage of their existence, 
the female, as I have often found it, as large as the male. 
Respecting the Black-headed Gull, Yarrell writes as follows : — 
“ A breeding-station in Norfolk, at a place called Scoulton Mere, where Sir Thomas Brown says this 
species bred constantly in his time, three hundred years ago, is thus described by the authors of the ‘Catalogue 
of Norfolk and Suffolk Birds:’ — ‘ Near the centre of the county of Norfolk, at the distance of about tw'enty- 
five miles from the sea and two from Hingham, is a large piece of water called Scoulton Mere. In the middle 
of this mere there is a boggy island of seventy acres extent, covered with reeds, and on which there are some 
birch and willow trees. There is no river communicating between the mere and the sea. This mere has 
from time immemorial been a favourite breeding-spot of the Brown-headed Gull. These birds begin to 
make their appearance at Scoulton about the middle of February ; and by the end of the first week in March 
the great body of them have always arrived. They spread themselves over the neighbouring country to the 
distance of several miles in search of food, following the plough as regularly as Rooks ; and, from the 
great quantity of worms and grubs which they devour, they render essential service to the fanner. If the 
spring is mild, the Gulls begin to lay about the middle of April ; hut the month of May is the time at which 
the eggs are found in the greatest abundance. At this season a man and three boys find constant employment 
in collecting them, and they have sometimes gathered upwards of a thousand in a day. These eggs are sold 
on the spot at the rate of fourpence a score, and are regularly sent in considerable quantities to the markets 
at Norwich and Lynn. They are eaten cold, like Lapwings’ eggs, and also used for culinary purposes ; but 
they are rather of an inferior quality, and somewhat like Ducks’ eggs in flavour. The person who sells these 
eggs gives £15 a year for the privilege of collecting them. This species of Gull never lays more than three 
eggs the first time; but if these are taken, it will lay again. We found many of the old birds sitting in the 
