80 OCEAN BIRDS. 



CuNEATE-TAiLED GuLL (EkoclosteUda rosea). — This arctic Gull has a genus all to itself, on 

 account of its cuneate tail, by which it may always be recognised. It is often called Ross's Gull. 



Yarrell includes it in his 'Appendix to British Birds,' so it would be possible to come 

 across it in British waters. It has a reddish white head, neck, and under parts ; pearl-grey 

 back ; black bill ; and red legs and feet. Whole length, fourteen inches. 



Ivory Gull {Pagophila ehurnea), — Another arctic Gull and very rare visitant to Great 

 Britain that has a genus all to itself. Mr. Howard Saunders says: — "The short stout bill, 

 coarse rough feet with serrated membranes, much excised webs, and strong curved claws, 

 appear to entitle this species to generic separation." 



It is thus described in Yarrell's 'British Birds,' vol. iii. ^p. 451: — "The adult bird in 

 summer has the bill greenish grey at the base and about the nostrils, the anterior portion 

 yellow ; the irides brown ; eyelids red at the edge ; the whole of the plumage, including the 

 wing and tail-feathers, a pure and delicate white ; the legs short and black. Whole length 

 from sixteen to eighteen inches." 



KiTTiWAKE Gull {Eissa tridactijla). — The genus Eissa consists of two species of Gulls, only 

 one of which we should expect to meet on an Australian voyage. The Kittiwake may always 

 be known by the absence of any hind toe, which is represented by a small tubercle only. On 

 this account the species is called tridactijla, three-toed. The name Kittiwake is, from the 

 peculiar note of the bird, supposed to resemble that three-syllable word. 



This Gull is common all round the British coast, but hardly ever met with inland. It 

 builds in the rocks, and lays three eggs of a light greenish-grey, spotted with ash-grey and 

 brown. They do not, however, seem to be very particular about the material, as I was told 

 that once, when a ship bringing home tobacco was wrecked off Scilly, all the Kittiwakes far 

 and wide used the tobacco for their nests. 



The bird is thus described by Yarrell ('British Birds,' vol. iii. p. 447) : — " The adult bird 

 in summer at the breeding-station has the bill greenish yellow, the mouth inside orange ; the 

 irides dark brown ; the head and the neck all round pure white ; back and wings French grey, 

 the secondaries and tertials tipped or edged with white ; the outer margin of the first primary 

 quill-feather black, the next three tipped with black, the fifth with a black patch near the end, 

 but the extremity white ; tail-coverts and tail-feathers pure white ; chin, throat, breast, and all 

 the under surface of the body and tail pure white ; legs rather short, and dusky in colour, the 

 toes and interdigital membranes also ; the hind toe only a small tubercle, without any 

 projecting horny nail or claw. The whole length fifteen inches and a half; from the anterior 

 joint of the wing to the end of the longest quill-feather, twelve inches. 



