The Iceland and Glaucous Git I Is in Ireland. 131 



month, a fine bird was seen flying along HaulboAvline bank ; 

 and on the 13th we saw another near Seamount marsh. 

 Having left the County Cork in 185 1, I know nothing of the 

 visits of this Gull to the harbour or coast since that date. 



My next meeting with the Iceland Gull was near the island 

 of Bartragh in Killala Bay, Co. Mayo, on the 4th December, 

 1 85 1, when I shot a bird in immature plumage, which I 

 sent to Belfast to the late Wm. Thompson, and the specimen, 

 if in existence, should be in the museum there. ^ On the 

 9th December, 1854, I observed a bird resting on the sands 

 near Scurmore, on the Co. Sligo side of the estuar>% but 

 although I did not succeed in coming within shooting 

 distance, I have no doubt of its being an Iceland Gull. On 

 the 7th May, 1855, a splendid-looking bird, apparentl}^ in 

 adult plumage, passed close to the parlour window here, where 

 I was sitting at the time, and as it slowly glided past I had an 

 excellent view of it, and watched it until quite out of sight. 

 For the greater part of January, 1862, a 3'oung bird haunted 

 one of m}' ploughed fields here at Moy View, feeding on the 

 worms turned up b}^ the plough, and it became so tame and 

 confiding that I did not like the idea of shooting it, and 

 thinking that if taken alive it would prove a valuable addition 

 to the collection of the Dublin Zoological Gardens, I laid a 

 hook baited with raw meat in one of the furrows, and this 

 was taken at once, but swallowed so greedily that the unfor- 

 tunate bird died shortly after the hook was extracted from its 

 throat. On the 22nd December, same year, I saw a bird on 

 the Knniscrone Sands associating with some Herring and 

 Common Gulls, and appeared so dark in colour as to be 

 evidently a j^oung bird of the year. 



I shot another j^oung bird on the 6th of Januar}^ 1866, as it 

 was haunting one of ni}^ ploughed fields, and on the 19th of 

 February same year, when riding along the Knniscrone Sands 

 facing the open bay, I noticed a very dark-coloured bird with 

 some "^Herring Gulls, and as it was so tame as to allow me to 

 ride past within eight or ten yards, I had so good a view of it, 

 that I feel certain that it was in the first 3'ear's plumage. 



On the 26th January, 1873, when standing on the road near 

 Dooneen House, talking to some friends, we were surprised at 

 seeing an Iceland Gull flying towards us from across the fields, 

 and alight on the high road about thirty 5'ards from where we 

 were standing, remain for a few moments, and then fly low 

 along the road for a hundred yards, as if looking for food, and 

 then across the fields out of sight. 



On the 28th January, 1877, I saw a bird that I think was in 

 the second year's plumage, resting in one of my pasture fields 

 amongst a flock of Common and Black-headed Gulls; there 

 had been a heavy gale the night before, and all the gulls ap- 



' An immature Iceland Gull in the Belfast Museum, bearing no label, 

 is no doubt this specimen. — ivds. 



B 



