BRITISH BIRDS. 210 
back, fcapulars, and wings are of a fine pale bluifli 
grey : the throat, rump, tail, and all the under 
parts are pure white : the firfl two quills are black, 
v/ith a pretty large white fpot near the tips ; the 
next four are tipped with black, and the feconda- 
ries largely with white : the legs are greenifii, or a 
dirty white. This is nearly the defcription of an - 
individual fpecimen; but from the jiumber which 
the author has examined, it is certain that thefe 
birds vary in the markings of the head, quills, tail, 
and in the colour of the bills and feet, hardly two 
of them being found exactly alike. Some have the 
head quite white ; fome the quills plain black at 
the ends' ; others the tail tipped with black, and 
the feet blufhed with red, green, or blue. Their 
plumage and look altogether is very clean and 
agreeable. 
The habits and manners of this fpecies are much 
the fame as thofe of the reft of the genus : they are 
fpread all over the globe, and are the moft com- 
mon and numerous of all the Gulls which frequent 
the Britifli ftiores. They breed on the rocky cliffs : 
and lay two eggs, nearly of the fize oTthofe of a 
Hen, of an olive brown colour, marked with dark 
reddifii blotches, or irregular fpots. At the mouths 
of the larger rivers, they are feen in numbers, pick- 
ing up the animal fubftances which are caft on fliore, 
or come floating down with the ebbing tide : for 
this kind of food they watch with a quick eye, and 
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