Re: Common Gull
Rick Blom (rblom@blazie.com)
Sat, 24 Jan 1998 18:53:07 -0500
Norm wrote, in a rather complete and well done post about "Common Gull":
>
>The bird seen at Conowingo Dam this winter is thought to be of the
>nominate race of Common Gull. If a split actually takes place and
>that split is then recognized by the American Onithologists Union,
>then this will show up in the lists here in this country as Common
>Gull. Until that time, to be perfectly correct, we would note it as
>a Mew Gull.
Actually, it is correct to refer to it as a Common Gull, not a Mew
Gull. Mew refers only to the race breeding in North America. The correct
name of this bird, assuming it is the European race, is Common Gull. It is
one of those little oddments of naming. The Latin name is Larus canus for
both birds, but the English name is different, and it is a useful
distinction.
Rick
"Everywhere I go I'm asked if the university stifles writers. My opinion is
that they don't stifle enough of them. There's many a bestseller that could
have been prevented by a good teacher." Flannery O'Connor
Rick Blom
rblom@blazie.com
Bel Air, Maryland