5*4 
GULL TRLBE. 
the first primary mainly white, with a black streak along the outer web; while on 
the second, third, and fourth quills of the same series the black forms a bar, 
followed by a broad white tip. 
With the somewhat misnamed 
common gull ( L . canus) we come to 
the first of a group of mostly large 
species, characterised by the pure 
white head and neck in the summer- 
plumage of the adult. Measuring 
18 inches in length, the adult in 
summer has the head and neck pure 
white; the back grey; the primaries 
mostly black, with white spots or 
tips; the beak yellow at the tip and 
greenish yellow at the base; and 
the total number of flight-feathers 
thirty-one. Breeding throughout 
Northern Europe and Asia, the 
common gull is now only a winter 
visitor to England, although it still 
nests in Ireland and Scotland. Its 
nests may be either scattered singly 
along the shore, or aggregated into 
larger or smaller colonies. On the 
two sides of North America this 
gull is severally represented by an allied species. Another British species demand¬ 
ing notice is the lierring-gull ( L. argentatus), which considerably exceeds the last 
in size, measuring upwards 
of 23 inches in length. In 
the adult summer-plumage 
the head is white; the 
mantle pale pearl-grey; 
the beak wholly yellow; 
a ring round the eye 
yellow; and the legs flesh- 
coloured ; while there are 
thirty-four flight-feathers. 
The range of this species 
includes Northern Europe, 
the islands of the Atlantic, 
such as the Azores, where 
it breeds, and North 
America; while in winter 
it visits the north of 
Africa. In Southern 
Europe, as well as in herring-gull. 
COMMON GULL. 
