522 Mr. Sabine's Account of a new Species of Gull 



This is the description of the bird in its mature and breeding 

 plumage : it is probable, that in its immature and winter state it 

 resembles other black-headed Gulls, in being divested of the dark 

 colour of its head. 



This species lays two eggs on the bare ground, which it hatches 

 the last week in July : the young when first hatched are mottled 

 with brown and dull yellow. The eggs are an inch and a half in 

 length, and of regular shape, not much pointed ; the colour is 

 olive, much blotched with brown. 



Little of course can be known of the manners and habits of 

 these birds, for they were not seen in any other instance during 

 the voyage through Davis's Straits and Baffin's Bay: the Esqui- 

 meaux Avho accompanied the expedition as interpreter, and who 

 possessed some knowledge of the native birds of South Greenland, 

 •had never observed them before. They flew with impetuosity 

 towards persons approaching their nests and young ; and when 

 one bird of a pair was killed, its mate, though frequently fired at, 

 continued on wing close to the spot where it lay. They get their 

 food on the sea-beach, standing near the water's edge and picking 

 up the marine insects which are cast on shore. 



In conformity with the custom of affixing the name of the ori- 

 ginal discoverer to a new species, this bird has been called Larus 

 Sabini. It will naturally fall into the division of the Gulls with 

 black heads, of which there are several species, though most of 

 them are but little known, and it may be distinguished by the 

 following specific character : 



li. albidus, capite nigricante, torque cervicali nigro, rostro basi 

 nigro apice luteo, pedibus nigris, cauda forficata. 



Tab. XXIX. 

 The forked tail of the bird will furnish ground, to those who are 

 desirous of increasing the number of genera, to place this in a new 



genus 



