BLACK-FOOTED KITTIWAKE. 521 



inch and a half in breadth, pale yellowish-grey, greenish- 

 white, or light olive-green, spotted and dotted all over with 

 dark brown and pale purplish-grey. The young continue in 

 the nest, or in its vicinity, until they are able to fly ; soon 

 after which the birds disperse over the neighbouring seas. 



Young. — The young, when a few days old, have the bill 

 blackish-blue, paler toward the tip, and with the oval pro- 

 tuberance white ; the iris dark ; the feet and claws lead- 

 blue, the webs greyish-white. They are covered with long 

 glossy down ; the head, neck, breast, and belly white, as arc 

 the wings ; the back gi'cy, as well as the thighs, margined 

 with pale yellowish-red. 



When fledged, the young have the bill black, the iris 

 and margins of the eyelids of the same colour ; the feet dark 

 greenish-grey, the claws brownish-black. The fore part of 

 the head, neck, and lower parts are white ; the occiput and 

 nape greyish-black ; a narrow black crescent before the eyes, 

 and a large blackish-grey patch behind the ears. The fea- 

 thers of the back and wings are deep bluish-grey, tipped 

 with brown ; the outer edge of the wing, the smaller coverts 

 along the humerus, and most of the scapulars black ; the 

 primary quills are black, the secondary with a large patch of 

 the same. The tail is white, with a broad band of brownish- 

 black at the end, an inch and a quarter in breadth on the 

 middle feathers, but narrowing outwards, and not extending 

 to the outer web of the outermost ; the terminal margins 

 white. The quills and tail-feathers remain in autumn, but 

 the other feathers are gradually changed. 



First Winter. — When the first autumnal moult is com- 

 pleted, the bill is brownish-black, the iris and edges of the 

 eyelids of the same colour, the feet dusky. The same mark- 

 ings as before are seen on the head, but lighter ; the lower 

 parts white ; the back deep bluish-grey. The dark markings 

 are diminished in extent and depth of tint. The quills and 

 tail-feathers are not changed in spring, but the rest of the 

 plumage is. 



An individual shot in the cud of April was as follows : — 



