In fair robes, finely ting'd with ash-grey, o'er the trees, Flew the GULLS (16) from the sea on a light zephyr breeze. (16) ORDER, ANSERES, (Linn.) GULL, KITTIWAKE, TARROCK, &c. The genus LARUS, (Linn.) or GULL, consists of nearly thirty species; they are spread almost universally over the globe, accommodating themselves to the winters of the arctic regions, and to the heat of the torrid zone. They have a straight bill, a little hooked at the tip; a light body supported by large wings; from the feathery buoyancy of which they, it is said, never dive; toes before webbed, back toe small; the following are the chief: The Canus, GULL, COMMON-GULL, Sea-Gull, White-Webfooted-Gull, Sea-Mall, Sea-Mew, or Sea-Maw,* is seventeen inches long, and weighs fifteen ounces; the head, neck, tail, and under parts of the body white; back, scapulars, and wing coverts ash-colour; bill yellow. Inhabits Europe and America. The preceding is the description of the bird maturely feathered; but the first year it is more or less mottled all over with brown and white; it varies again in the second year; and it is probable that it does not arrive at maturity till the third or fourth year. It is seen in winter at a considerable distance from the coast, and will follow the plough for the larva of the cockchafer, Scarabæus Melolontha. It is, however, decidedly a sea-bird, and feeds on fish and marine worms; breeds on the ledges of rocks, close to the sea-shore; eggs two or three, dull olive, blotched with dusky, size of a small hen's egg. A beautiful song of LORD BYRON'S in the first canto of * "The greedy Sea-Maw fishing for the fly," DRAYTON'S Man in the Moon. The Fuscus was there, long the fisherman's guide; And he, the GREAT BLACK-BACK'D, of Steep Holmes the pride. Childe Harold will immortalize this bird as the Sea-Mew, the following is the first stanza of it: "Adieu, adieu! my native shore Fades o'er the waters blue; The night winds sigh, the breakers roar, And shrieks the wild sea-mew. Yon sun that sets upon the sea, We follow in his flight; Farewell awhile to him and thee, My native land!—good night!" The Marinus, GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL, Great Black and White Gull, or Cobb, weighs between four and five pounds; breadth five feet nine inches; colour white; back and wing coverts dusky black. Inhabits Europe and America. Breeds on the Steep-Holmes in the Bristol Channel; eggs blackish grey, with dark purple spots. Feeds on fishes and young birds. It used some years since to be, and probably now is, a common excursion in the summer season among the fishermen resident near the mouth of the Parret, to row in their flat-bottomed boats to the Steep-Holmes, in quest of gulls' eggs: it was generally considered a source of pleasure rather than of profit. The adventure is a hazardous one, and can only be safely accomplished in calm weather. The Fuscus, or HERRING-GULL, is white; back brown; twenty-three inches long; inhabits Europe, North America, and Asia; found plentifully on the shores of this country; feeds on fish, particularly herrings, to the shoals of which fishermen are directed by these birds hovering over and following them. Eggs three, whitish, spotted with black. In the two first years the young of this and the Less Black-backed Gull are so much alike, that they cannot be ascertained till the ma The LAUGHING came, too, from his home, Scoulton Mere; And that ARCTIC marauder who hunts without fear: tured feathers appear on the back. See Part II. for a poetical description of the gull's and other birds' pursuit of the herring. The Ridibundus, LAUGHING-GULL, Black-headed Gull, Brownheaded Gull, Puit, Pewit-Gull, Black-Cap, Sea-Crow, Mire-Crow, or Crocker, is whitish; head and throat black length fifteen inches; makes a laughing noise; inhabits Europe and America, and found also in this country. It breeds at Scoulton Mere, in Norfolk, where the eggs have been collected in great numbers. The young birds leave the nest as soon as they are hatched and take to the water, as do indeed most of the young of the aquatic tribes. It is a very useful bird, following the plough for worms as regularly as the rook. Its plumage varies: in winter the head and other parts of the body, which are black in summer, become white. The Argentatus, or LESS BLACK-BACKED GULL, is greatly inferior in size to the Great Black-backed Gull, but rather larger than the Herring-Gull. Found frequently, and breeds, in this country. The eggs and young similar to those of the herring-gull. The Parasiticus, ARCTIC-GULL, Teaser, or Dung-Hunter, has the body above black; beneath, temples, and front, white. Iohabits Europe, Asia, and America; common also in the Hebrides and the Orkneys, where they breed among the heath; it has been seen also in Yorkshire. Eggs two, ash-coloured spotted with black, size of a hen's. It is twenty-one inches long. Pursues smaller gulls till they have discharged what they have lately eaten, which it dexterously catches and devours before it reaches the water. The Rissa, or KITTIWAKE, is, the first and second year, called TARROCK, not arriving at maturity till the third year, when it is about fourteen or fifteen inches long; weighs about half a The KITTIWAKE, SKUA the huge, the BLACK-TOED, Over hill, over dale, all triumphantly rode ; While the COMмon, well known as the minstrel's SEA MEW, Of whom BYRON sings in his feeling" Adieu," Soar'd aloft with wild screaming, and waving in light His downy plum'd pinions of delicate white. There were, too, some WARBLERS of soft plaintive note : The RED-START-the WHEAT-EAR, and he with WHITE-THROAT; pound; back whitish-hoary; quill feathers white; head, neck, belly, and tail snowy; wings hoary. Inhabits Europe, Asia, and America; found also, and breeds, in this country, but rarely in the southern parts of the island, Besides these, many other species are sometimes found in this country; the Crepidatus, or BLACK-TOED GULL;-the Atricilla, or LAUGHING-GULL of MONTAGU, called also BALTNER'S GREAT ASH-COLOURED SEA-MEW;-the Catarractes, SKUA GULL, or Brown Gull, weighs three pounds, and is two feet long; and the Nævius, or WAGEL-GULL. The WINTER-GULL, Winter-mew, or Coddy Moddy, is said to be nothing more than the common gull in the second year's plumage. The eggs of gulls are collected and eaten in some parts of Great Britain, as well as in other countries. The flesh of most of the tribe is generally considered too rank for food. The feathers would, it is presumed, make good beds; it seems singular that they have not been collected for such purpose: perhaps, however, they may be too oily. "" Buoyantly on high, The Sea Gulls ride weaving a sportive dance, A Blackwood's Mag. 1822. Of the WAGTAILS-the WATER-the YELLOW-the GREY; The first at the stream often sipp'd and away. SAND-PIPERS (7) were many-amongst them were seen, The GREY, BLACK, COMMON, SPOTTED, RED, PURPLE, and GREEN. (17) Order, Grallæ, (Linn.) Sand-Piper, Ruff and Reeve, LAPWING, TURNstone, Phalarope, Knot, Pur, &c. The genus TRINGA, (Linn.) or SAND-PIPER, consists of above seventy species; their distinguishing characters are a straight slender bill, and exceeding one inch and a half in length; nostrils small; tongue slender; toes divided, or very slightly connected. They are found in Europe and America; a few in Asia; a great many common to this country; the following are the chief: The Pugnax, or RUFF and REEVE, have the bill and legs rufous; three lateral tail feathers without spots; face with fleshcolour granulations. They are so variable in colour that two are seldom alike, but the long feathers of the neck resembling a ruff, sufficiently characterize the species. It is about a foot long; the Ruffs, or males, fight with great obstinacy for the female, or Reeves, whence their specific name Pugnax. The Reeve is less than the male; the upper parts are brown; beneath white. Eggs four, white, with rusty spots deposited in a tuft of grass. The ruff and the flesh-colour granulations of the face are only seen in the summer; both disappear in the autumn. In the young of the first year, which are called Stags, they are wanting. Inhabits Europe and this country; but here only in the fens of Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, East Riding of York shire, the Isle of Ely, and the marshes of Norfolk; they arrive in these districts early in spring, where they breed, and depart |