§2 Allen's naturalist's library. 



Fir^ophila ehuniea. Dresser, B. Eur. viii. p. 349, pi. 595 (1877); 

 B. O. U. List Brit. B. p. 186 (1883) ; Saunders, ed. Yar- 

 rell's Brit. B. iii. p. 656 (1884); id. Man. Brit. B. p. 669 

 (1889) ; Lilford, Col. Fig. Brit. B. part xxvi. (1893) ; Saun- 

 ders, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxv. p. 301 (1896). 



Adult Male. — Entirely snow-white above and below ; the quills 

 also white, with white shafts and a faint shade of grey on the 

 inner web; "bill, gamboge-yellow terminally, merging into 

 greenish-grey on the basal two-thirds of both mandibles ; tarsi 

 and toes black ; iris dark hair-brown; orbital ring brick-red" 

 {H. Saunders). Total length, 18 inches; culmen, 17; wing, 

 14*2; tail, 62; tarsus, 175. 



Adult Female. — Similar to the male, but slightly smaller, and 

 Mr. Saunders states that there is a tendency to show a 

 shorter tarsus. Total length, 17 inches; wing, 12*8. 



Young. — White, but with a great deal of grey on the lores, 

 sides of face, and throat. The upper surface and the wings 

 spotted with greyish-black ; the bastard-wing, primary-coverts, 

 and primaries with a black spot at the end ; tail-feathers with a 

 black sub-terminal band. 



Nestling. — White. "Even in this stage," says Professor 

 Collett, "they may be distinguished from the young of other 

 species by the strong and hooked claws, particularly on the 

 hind toe, the somewhat marginated web on the toes, and by 

 the forward nostrils." The fledgeling is said by Mr. Saunders 

 to be of a dull or smoke-grey colour. 



Range in Great Britain. — Some thirty occurrences of the 

 Ivory Gull have been recorded from British waters, of which 

 half have been adult individuals. They have been procured in 

 England, Ireland, and Scotland, though the greater number, 

 as might have been expected in a winter visitor from the 

 north, have occurred in the latter kingdom. 



Range outside the British Islands. — " Circumpolar regions, w^ith- 

 out any break of continuity ; but along those portions of the 

 coast of Arctic America, where open water is non-existent, the 

 bird is naturally scarce ; rare also in the Northern Pacific. In 

 winter, southwards as far as the coast of France and Lake 

 Leman (once), and New Brunswick, in America" {^Saunders). 



