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THE ICELAND AND GLAUCOUS GULLS {LARUS 

 LEUCOPTERUS, Fabkr: & L. GEAUCUS, O. Fab.) 

 IN IRELAND. 



BY ROBERT WARRKN. 



{Concluded from page 133.) 



I NOW give my notes of the occurrence of the GlaucoUvS Gull. 

 The first occasion when I met this fine northern Gull was 

 during a heav}^ fall of snow, on the 14th December, 1859, 

 when as I was walking along the shore here at Moj^view 

 looking out for a shot at Wigeon, a vSplendid bird flew close 

 past me, and although I fired and severely wounded it, it 

 unfortunatel}^ escaped, and I thus lost my first chance of 

 securing such a prize. 



This bird when passing appeared quite as large as the 

 Great Black-backed Gull, and its heavier flight easily dis- 

 tinguished it from the Icelander. In March, 1871, on two 

 occasions, I saw an adult bird flj^ing about the sands of the 

 estuar>% and although I got a long shot I did not secure it. 

 This individual showed very white when seen through a 

 glass, the grey mantle being verj^ pale in colour, almost pure 

 white, a peculiar stage of plumage sometimes seen in this 

 gull just before it assumes the perfect one of maturity. 



Several times during Januarj^, 1873, I observed another 



adult bird haunting the shores and sands, and at length on 



the 23rd of same month I succeeded in shooting it, near 



Ball3^sokeer3', on the Co. Mayo side of the estuary. I was 



returning in m}" shooting punt, having been after the Wigeon 



all day, when I remarked this bird fl3dng past and joining 



some 3^oung Black-backed Gulls resting on the water; these 



latter on the approach of the punt as usual made off, leaving 



the 'Glaucous still on the water, but when I got within shot 



ni}' small gun missed fire, and then bringing round the head 



of the punt, so as to get the big gun to bear, I fired and 



knocked over one of the finest specimens of the Glaucous 



Gull that I ever saw ; it was in perfect adult plumage, showing 



a little of the winter duskj^ colour on the back of head and 



neck. Its measurements were : total length from point of 



bill to end of tail, 262- inches; carpus, 18 inches; tarsus, 



3 inches ; bill from point to rictus, 3f inches ; to forehead, 



2\ inches; and depth i inch. Some time during the winter of 



1874 or 1875 (I am not certain which, for I did not note the 



occurrence), I shot an immature bird near the island of 



Bartragh. On the 24th of Februar}^ 1877, I observ^ed a fine 



adult bird flying along the shore here, and on the 20th of 



March, as I was down the Mojme Channel in my shooting 



punt, and when just opposite the Abbey a beautiful Glaucous 



Gull (probably the same seen in February) flew close past my 



