History of British animals - University of Guam Marine Laboratory

Larus. BIRDS. PALMIPIDES. 141Length 17, breadth 36 inches; weight 15 ounces. Bill yellow, dusky towardsthe base, 2^ inches long. Mouth orange. Legs dull white. Iridesand orbits brown. Head, neck, rump, tail and below white. Back and wingsbluish-grey. Primaries black, the two or three first with a spot of whiteacross the ends, and the tips black, the rest tipped with white ; secondariesgrey, tipped with white. Female similar.—Nest on ledges of rock on the coast,of sea-weeds. Eggs 2 or 3, dull olive-brown, blotched with dusky. Youngmottled brown and white ; the tail with a brown bar near the end. The whitecommences in the second year; the spots on the wings, and the dark bar ofthe tail finally disappear. In itsyoung state it has been called the WinterGull.229. L. Rissa. Kittivvake.— Tarsus l T45 th inch. A smallknob instead of a hind toe.L. cinereus Bellonii, Will. Orn, 263 Avis Kittiwake, Sibb. Scot. 20—L. Rissa, Linn. Syst. 224. Penn. Brit. Zool. ii. 539.—L. tridactylus,Temm, Orn. ii. 774,— E, Annet—Resident.Length 14, breadth 38 inches; weight 8 ounces. Bill 2 \ inches long,slightly hooked, greenish-yellow ; corners of the mouth, inside and orbits,orange. Feet dusky black. Irides chesnut. Head, neck, rump, tail, andbelow white ; back and wing-covers pale grey. The four first quill-feathersare tipped with black, but the fourth has a small white spot near the point ;the fifth (or sixth) is tipped with white, with a black bar. In moulting, 1have observed that it is the sixth quill that is first cast off, then the fifth.Female similar Nest, in company, on ledges of rocks impending the sea.Eggs 2, pale olive, with dark markings. Young have the bill black. Head,neck, and below whitish ; a black spot on the lores, and (lighter coloured) onthe ear and on the nape. Above, the plumage is mottled grey and brown ;the quills black ; the tail dusky at the ends ; the whole of the outer one, oneach side, plain. The spot on the ear is the last marking of youth which disappears.In this young state, it is the L. tridactylus of Linnaeus, and the Tarrockof Pennant. Mr Edmonston refers to a bird, nearly resembling thetarrock, which he has observed in Zetland, and which he is disposed to consideras a distinct species, under the title of L. corvus. " The upper part ofthe neck and head is pale blue ; behind each ear, a spot of a darker shade ofthe same colour the ;plumage otherwise, similar to that of the kittiwake."—(Edin. Phil. Journ. vol. viii. 99.) From its not breeding, nor frequenting thebreeding-places of the common species, it is termed in Zetland, Yeld Killiwake.It is also called Craa Maa. It is probably only the tarrock in the laststage of immaturity.230. L. rklibundus. Black-headed Gull.— Head and upperneckbrownish-black ; a large white space on the middle of thefirst quills ; tarsus l T ° th inch in length.L. cinereus, Will. Orn. 2G4 L. rid. Linn. Syst. 225. Penn. Brit. Zool. ii.541. Mont. Linn. Trans, vii. 284. Tcmm. Orn. ii. 730.— E, Pewit.Black-cap, Sea-crow, Rickmire ; S, Hooded Maw.Length 15, breadth 37 inches; weight 10 ounces. Bill and feet rich vermilion.Irides hazel. Round the eyes a few white feathers. Lower part ofthe neck, tail, and below white ;the back and wings grey. Primaries white,the first with the exterior margin black ; the second tipped with black, andmarked with a black spot on the inner web. In winter the head is white,with a black patch on the ear, and another in front of the eyes under the;wing blackish-grey. Female similar Nest in meadows and islands in fresh Avaterlakes. Eggs 3, olive, with dusky blotches. The young mottled with brownand white. The head then becomes white, with an obscure spot behind theear ; tail with a dark band. Base of the bill livid, the point black ; the feet