File:The birds of Europe (1837) (14564065800).jpg

Identifier: birdsEuropeVGoul (find matches)
Title: The birds of Europe
Year: 1837 (1830s)
Authors: Gould, John, 1804-1881
Subjects: Pictorial works Birds
Publisher: London, Printed by R. and J.E. Taylor, pub. by the author
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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Text Appearing Before Image:
s of a delicate straw-colour; the whole of the uppersurface, wings and tail, of a deep umber brown: the chest thickly clouded with irregular bars of brown, be-coming lighter towards the belly, which is white ; vent and under tail-coverts brown interspersed with white;the middle tail-feathers exceed the rest by two or three inches. The total length of the bird is fifteen orsixteen inches ; the adult male and female resemble each other in plumage. The young of the year present a uniformity of colouring throughout, which consists of a dark brown, eachfeather being tipped with ferruginous brown: in this stage, the middle tail-feathers scarcely exceed theothers; as they advance in age, the adult plumage gradually supervenes. It is in the intermediate state thatthe Pomarine Gull is most commonly to be met with. Our Plate, in which the figures are two thirds of their natural size, represents an adult male in full plumage,and a young bird of about the age of five months in its immature dress.
Text Appearing After Image:
05N IN 4 c3 5 RICHARDSONS LESTRIS. Lestris Richardsonii, Swains, This is by far the most common parasitic Gull on our coast. It breeds in the Orkney, Shetland, andWestern Isles in very considerable abundance ; and from this, its most southern boundary of incubation, it maybe found in all the intermediate countries to the polar regions of both continents. It was discovered byDr. Richardson, breeding on the barren ground north of Hudsons Bay at a considerable distance from thesea, from whence he brought specimens, which we have had opportunities of comparing with others procuredin the Orkneys, and find them to be strictly identical. Some confusion appears to have existed in referenceto the specific differences of these birds ; and had it been consistent with the plan of the present work, itwould have been a gratification to us to have figured all the known species contained in this interesting- andwell-defined genus : they are, however, not numerous;—we are not acquainted with more th

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