298 WEB-FOOTED BIRDS. 



KITTIWAKE GULL. 



(Larus tridactylus, Lath. Temm. Man. d'Orn. ii. p. 774. Boxap. Sy- 

 nops. No. 21)5. Richard. North. Zool. ii. p. 423. Mouette Cen- 

 drie, Buff. PI. Enlum. 387. Kittiwake, Penn. Arct. Zool. No. 

 456. Suppl. p. 70. [winter dress] Larus rissa. Idem. Suppl. p. 70. 

 Tarrock. Id. p. 533. D. Ritsa, of the Icelanders.) 



Sp. Charact. — Mantle blue-grey; quills black at the point ; hind 

 toe obsolete and without nail. — Suminer plumage, with the head 

 and neck pure white. Winter dress, with the head and neck bluish- 

 grey ; slender black lines before the eyes. Young soiled and spot- 

 ted ; tail with a black subterminal band. 



The Kittiwake or Tarrock is found in the north of 

 both continents. It inhabits Newfoundland, Labrador, the 

 islands in the Gulf of the St. Lawrence, * the coasts of the 

 Pacific, Spitzbergen, Greenland, Iceland and the north of 

 Europe, as well as the arctic coast of Asia and Kamtschat- 

 ka. It likewise breeds in some of the Scottish islands ; and 

 is generally found about saline lakes, and the interior seas 

 and gulfs ; but is less frequent on the borders of the ocean. 

 In autumn they spread themselves on the banks of rivers 

 and lakes. They feed upon fish, fry and insects^: and 

 nest upon the rocks near the sea coast ; laying 3 eggs of an 

 olivaceous white, marked with a great number of small dark 

 spots, and other greyish ones less distinct. In Iceland they 

 inhabit the cliffs of the coast in vast numbers, and utter 

 loud and discordant cries, particularly on the approach of 

 rapacious birds, as the Sea Eagle, who probably prey upon 

 their young. Both their flesh and eggs are esteemed as 

 good food. 



The length of the Kittiwake is about 15«^ inches. Length of the 

 wing 12 inches ; of the bill from above, 1 inch 4 lines; tarsus about 

 the same length with the bill. Summer dress, with the mantle blu- 

 ish-grey. Ends of the 5 exterior quills, and outer web of the first, 



* Audubon, information by letter. 



