M. Temminck says this species_ has been taken in. Baffin's
Bay and Davis’ Straits. Professor Calvi of Genoa notices:
two taken there, one in the year 1826, the other in 1827.
M. Temminck mentions that the eggs of This' species* which
he had seen, were smaller than those of Larus ridibundys, of
an ash-green" colour, with darker spots," and mentions also
that M. de Selys XAongchamps had sent him word that he had
seen one example of this -bird in-' thevcollection -of the. Marquis
Durazzo, Which had been killed in , Liguria. M. Savi
includes this, species in his Birds of Italy.
- -Tbis Giill is best distinguished from the specie^ nfext to be
described" .by, its', smaller-'size*j.ts -shorter and m<|ke. slender
bill, its shorter legs, and smaller fe e t; and imits,fsumni<^
plumage by the hair-brown feathers about the head forming a
mask and hot a. hood. '
The particulars of- the bird in summer ^plumage from ^ ei-
land, are as follows. ; The bill brownish-red.; the head and
upper part of the neoS»on the sides and' front hair-brown,
boundgdll^blaekieNbfown ; no dark eolour/.onitfeocciput,
but descending low on the'fore part of the. neck, where some
of the dark feathers were tipped with white; the remaining
portion^ of the n e c k tie breast*: abd'&fiie^|gen'it^ia:nd" tail pure
white;“ upper surface o f , wi n g s pale ashcgrey^-undemsttm.
face greyish-white ; primaries white, edged and tipped with
black, broadest on the inner web, the shafts white; legs and
toes;brownish red. __
In winter-this bird,' like all the Gulls which hav^Jdark-
cdhjwifed heads in summer,-have, the head white, with a1 few
dusky grey lines on the -crown,- a small patcfe-of duik'y-black
under the eye,.and another up oh 'or- under the ear-coverts;
The rest of the plumage as in summer, except that the black
colour on the wing primaries is more intense-from the recent
renewal of the feiathersrat the autumn moult. -
NATATORES. LARIDÆ.
T H E BLACK-HEADED GULL.
Larus ridibundus, Black-headed Gull, Zool. vol. ii, pp. 189,
v l'91,’aud*ïifeV
,, ,, a a a M ont. Omittf. Diet.
,, ''rêmjthropus, Pro{pn> ,, f „ >> h >>
. 'nidibundus, Black. ,, ,, Bewick, Brit. Birds, vol. ii. p. 242.
£»>%■ -e'inerarius, Red-legged ,, • . £ ,, » 245.
„ ridibundus, Black-headed ■ ,, Flem. >A.n. p. 141. .
>» »» »» >> ” ^S ej-by , Brit. Ornith. vol. ii, p. 486.
r> r> •n >» >) J enyns, Brit. Vert. p. 272.
Xema ,, Laughing „ Gould, Birds of Europe, pt. xi.
Larus „ Mouette rieuse, T emm. Man. d’Oraith. veL.it. p. 780.
T h e B l a c k -h e a d e d Gull is abundant on various parts
of our coast, particularly those that are flat and marshy. In
such situations it is very common, and while wearing its dark VOL. I I I . 11