File:The sportsman's British bird book (1908) (14565768947).jpg

Identifier: sportsmansbritis00lyde (find matches)
Title: The sportsman's British bird book
Year: 1908 (1900s)
Authors: Lydekker, Richard, 1849-1915
Subjects: Game and game-birds -- Great Britain Birds -- Great Britain
Publisher: London : Rowland Ward
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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n the latter seasonjourneying as far southas the Mediterranean.Naturally, with such a distribution, the bulk of the wanderers to theBritish Islands arrive in the southern and eastern counties of England :in Ireland the species is very rare, while in the north of Scotland itseems to be unknown, although it has been recorded from the Faroes.Both in summer and winter these pretty little gulls associate in largecolonies ; they feed partly on fishes and partly on crustaceans andworms, but are also said to hawk dragon-flies on the marshes afterthe manner of nightjars. Very generally they build in company withthe common tern, from the eggs of which their own appear to beindistinguishable ; both sexes taking their turn at incubating. Thenest is built of marsh-plants, and is often almost floating ; and thereare usually three eggs, although occasionally four. In addition to being the smallest of its tribe, not exceeding i iinches in length, this species is readily recognised, when adult, by the
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MOUNTED IN THE ROA LITTLK GfLI- UINTKK SABINES GULL 159 absence of black markings on the primary quills and the black of theunder surface of the wing. In summer the head and upper part of theneck are deep black, the back and wing-coverts pearl-grey, the primariesgrey broadly tipped with white, and the rest of the plumage white,tinged on the under-parts with pink. In winter the head is whitestreaked with ash on the nape and ear-coverts. At all seasons the beakis deep lake-red, and the legs and feet are vermilion. Young birds aremottled with dark brown above, with a band of the same colour acrossthe end of the tail ; but the primary quills are sooty, with a whitemargin on the free edge of the inner web, the under surface of the wingis white, the beak is black, and the legs are yellowish red. The chickis warm buff in colour, streaked and spotted with dark brown. Sabines Gull(Xema sabinei). Although manifestly only a wanderer from theArctic regions, where it is found all round the Pole,th

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