. Birds: the elements of ornithology . The Oommon Pelican {Pelecamcs onoorotalm). Eeturning from such exotic creatures as Pelicans and Dartersto more familiar forms, when we think of Sea Birds, the Gullsof our coasts come naturally before the mind. The CommonGull (Larus canus) may serve as the type of a large groupwhich is spread over the whole world, and consists of atleastforty-eight kinds, all remarkably similar in form, general coloration, INTBODXrCTIOJT. 29 and mode of life. The common species is very often to be seenon the banks of the Thames, and many of the Gulls, thoughfamiliar object
. Birds: the elements of ornithology . The Oommon Pelican {Pelecamcs onoorotalm). Eeturning from such exotic creatures as Pelicans and Dartersto more familiar forms, when we think of Sea Birds, the Gullsof our coasts come naturally before the mind. The CommonGull (Larus canus) may serve as the type of a large groupwhich is spread over the whole world, and consists of atleastforty-eight kinds, all remarkably similar in form, general coloration, INTBODXrCTIOJT. 29 and mode of life. The common species is very often to be seenon the banks of the Thames, and many of the Gulls, thoughfamiliar objects at the sea-side, largely frequent inland waters,feeding on worms, insects, eggs, the nestlings of other Birds,mice, &c., as well as fish. Their flight is graceful, and theymay often be seen sailing in circles in the breeze, with hardly aperceptible motion of the wing. The Terns are yet more graceful in flight, but they walk Fig. The Common Gull (Larus canus). with less ease, though they swim admirably. Their more slender,less bulky aspect, siraighter bills, narrower wings, and longforked tails serve, with few exceptions, to distinguish them fromthe Gulls. There are, again, some flfty species of this group,some or other of which are to be found nearly all over theglobe. Like the Gulls, they are noisy and gregarious, andare found on inland lakes as well as the sea-shore, feeding oninsects as well as fish. The Arctic Tern (Sterna macrura, fig. 28)may serve for a type, as it is almost as well known as theso-called Common Tern (S. Jlv/uiatilis). It comes to us in thelatter half of April, breeding on islands near the coast. 3° BLHMEiraS OP OENITHOLOGT. There are also Eobber-guUs, called Skuas, and the Great Skua ^{Stereorarius catarrhactes) breeds in Iceland, the Faroes, and the i Fig. 28.
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, bookpubl, booksubjectornithology
