272 LONG-WINGED SWIMMERS — LONGIPENNES. 



meuts of Greenland, and as breeding only to the north of Upernavik. Professor 

 Blasius also describes it as occurring in Heligoland. According to IMiddendorff, 

 Sabine's Gull is a bird of Siberia ; and it is included in his list of those that penetrate 

 to the farthest north. He also states (" Sib. Reise," p. 244) that this Gull appeared on 

 the Taimyr River (lat. 73° 45' N.) on the 5th of June ; but soon left, and was not seen 

 again until he reached the ponds in the Barrens (tundras) and the small alluvial 

 islands in the river and lake of Taimyr, in about 74° north latitude ; there it was 

 common, breeding in company witli the Arctic Tern. The same writer, quoted by 

 Dresser, states that he found this bird breeding in Northern Siberia, and that on the 

 10th of July the eggs were much incubated. They were deposited in depressions in 

 the moss, lined with dry grass-bents of the previous year, and there were two in each 

 nest. On the 19th of July most of the young birds seen had only just been hatched 

 out ; but a few were of considerable size. On the 15th of August he saw full-grown, 

 though not full-feathered, young. They dived with ease, while the parents were 

 flying overhead — every now and then darting down, uttering a harsh note somewhat 

 resembling that of Turdus pilaris. He found the crops of the old birds and the 

 stomachs of the young filled with the larvae of di^iterous insects. 



Richardson, in his " Journal of a Boat-voyage," refers to an island off Cape Dal- 

 housie, on which he encamped, as being one of the breeding-places of this bird, and 

 states that the eggs were deposited in hollows in the short and mossy turf, 



Mr. Giraud mentions that a single individual of this species was shot at Raynor 

 South, on Long Island, in July, 1837, and states that, so far as he was aware, this 

 was the only one ever procured on the island. 



Mr. J. A. Allen obtained a single specimen of Sabine's Gull at Salt Lake Valley 

 in September, and one is said also to have been taken in Bermuda — shot by Colonel 

 Drummond near St. George ; but in this case there was no record of the date. 



According to Yarrell, there are several instances on record of the shooting of this 

 Gull in the British Islands. The first specimen, so far as known, was shot in Belfast 

 Bay in September, 1822 ; the second, now in the Museum of the Royal Dublin Soci- 

 ety, was shot in Dublin ]'>ay by Mr. Wall. Both of these birds were in the plumage 

 of the first autumn. Other specimens have since been obtained in Cambridgeshire, 

 at Milford Haven, at ISTewhaven, near Dublin, and in several other places. Temminck 

 mentions three instances of the occurrence of this species which had become known 

 to him — one was a young bird on the coast of Holland; a second was killed on the 

 Rhine ; a third in France, not far from Rouen ; and still another near Dunkirk. 



Captain MacFarlane found this Gull breeding in the islands of the Arctic Ocean. 

 He mentions that the under ])lumage of a male shot by him early in July was deeply 

 tinged with crimson. The first nest found was by itself on an island near a small 

 lake, and contained three eggs. In June, 18G5, Mr. MacFarlane found a number of 

 these birds breeding on the "large island" in Franklin Bay — a place often referred 

 to in his notes as such, which, however, was ascertained not to be an island, but an 

 extensive neck or point of land. The nests were on an islet in a small lake. 



Mr. Dall mentions finding the Fork-tailed Gull abundant in the marshes about 

 Pastolik and St. Michael's, where it breeds. He also states that this species is not 

 rare at Plover Bay, in Eastern Siberia. Mr. Dall has never observed it far inland, 

 in strictly fresh water, and is certain that it is not found at Nulato. 



j\Ir. Bannister states that in the early part of July he observed large flocks of these 

 birds in the Canal at St. Micliael's, and that at about the same time two specimens 

 were shot by Mr. Pease in the same locality. They did not observe this species at 

 any other point near the redoubt. But Mr. E. Adams mentions (" Ibis," 1878) having 



