BRITISH BIRDS. 
209 
OF THE GULL. 
The bill is ftrong and ftraight, but bent down- 
wards at the point : the noftrils are pervious, ob- 
long, and narrow, and are placed in the middle 5 
the lower mandible has an angular prominence on 
the underfide, which tapers towards, and forms its 
tip : the tongue is a little cloven. The body is 
cloathed with a great quantity of down and feathers, 
which, together with the large head and long wings, 
give thefe birds an appearance of bulk, without a 
proportionate weight. Their legs are fmall, naked 
above the knees : feet webbed, and the back toe 
detached, and very fmall. 
This genus, which fome naturalifts have defcrib- 
ed as confiding of about nineteen fpecies, befides 
a few varieties, is numeroufly difperfed over every 
quarter of the known world, and is met with, at 
certain feafons, in fome parts, in fuch multitudes, 
that the whole furface of the ground is covered 
with their dung ; and their eggs are gathered by 
the inhabitants in prodigious quantities. They af- 
femble together in a kind of draggling mixed 
flocks, confiding of various kinds, and greatly en- 
liven the beach by their irregular movements, whild 
their Ihrill cries are deadened by the noife of the 
- waves, or nearly drowned in the roarings of the 
furge. They occafionally take a wide range aver 
VoL. II. t D d 
