plumage compofed of a mixed brown, afh-colour, and white; the
middle of each feather brown : the under parts of the body the
fame, but paler: quills black : the lower part of the tail mottled
black and white; near the end a bar of black; beyond this
the end is white : legs dirty flelh-colour; in fome white.
Place. The above frequents the fea-lhores of many parts of England,
though not in any conftderable numbers: at times feen on the
banks of the ‘Thames, along with other Gulls; and the opinion
there held, that it is the female of the Hack-backed: but this has
not yet been determined fufficiently by authors *. Mr. Pennant
feems to think the contrary; and indeed the different markings
of the quills and tail do not juffify the fuppofition. It feems far
from an eafy matter to arrange the Gulls, in refpeft to their juft
divifion, into fpecies ; and we have much occafion to think that
they are confiderably multiplied, by authors having recorded the
varieties. Of this we will mention our third, fourth, and fifth,
as inftances.
The Mack-backed and Herring Gulls fo exadtly tally, except in
fize, that, did not authors affure us to the contrary, we fhouid at
once confider them as only one. The fame may be alfo faid in
refpeft of our Glaucous and Silvery, if compared with the Herring
Gull; as they fcarcely differ, except in a quill feather more or
lefs being tipped with white, and the paler or deeper colour of
the back and wing coverts. However, we fear that it will require
yet fome time to afcertain the true ftate of the cafe. As
to the circumftance of the TVagel being the female of the black-
* Fabricius fuppofes it to be the young of the Hack-lacked Gull. Faun. Green!.
p. IOi.—Linncem defcribes the Wage!as a firfl year’s bird of the Herring Gull;
Faun. Suec. p. 54. N° *54.
7 backed,
backed, as afferted by fome; we fear the difference is too great to
admit of i t ; yet, however this may appear, we have now before
us a young Herring Gull with every marking of the Wagel, differing
only in fize, and a tinge of lead-colour on the fcapulars.
When a writer cannot afcertain fads, he fhouid always pen his
doubts, that the reader may be put upon his guard ; whereby,
paying more attention than he otherwife would, in fuch uncertain
points, he may at laft be led to the defired information.
La-us eburneus, Tbippds Vcy. p. 187.
— ------candidus, Faun. Groenl. N° 6y.—Muller, p. 8. IVORY G.
La Mouette blanche, Bu/. Oif. viii. p. 422»— Fl. Etti. 994.
Rathfher, Martin’s Spiizb. p. 77.
Sénateur, Salem Orn. p. 382»
Ivory Gull, Arïï, Zool. N° 457.
Lev. Mu/.
J ^ E N G T H fixteen inches: breadth thirty-feven. Bill two Description.
inches long, and lead-coloured, with a pale tip : orbits faf-
fron-colour: plumage wholly white-: the wings very long, exceeding
the tail greatly, and even the legs, when at length : the
colour of the laft cinereous lead-colour : claws black.
The young are marked with oblong black lpots, efpecially
on the back and wings; with the bills black.
This fpecies feems to prefer the moft northern fituations, in- Place ano
habiting both coafts of Greenland, and met with far out at fea, Manners.
feldom approaching the land, except in the time of incubation ;
but is then fufficiently tame, fo as to be fhot without difficulty,
whereas at fea it is very fhy. Frequent in the Frozen Sea, between
V61" m - 3 C Afta
1