LAKID.'E. 



64. 



^X--^ 



^^ 



'V. 





THE WEDGE-TAILED GULL. 

 Rhodostethia R()SEA, Macgillivray. 



An example in winter-plumage, which passed through the hands 

 of Graham, the somewhat notorious bird-stuffer of York, is said to 

 have been shot near Tadcaster in December 1846 or February 1S47, 

 and, having been purchased by the late Sir \\\\\. I\L E. Milner, is 

 now in the Museum of Leeds. According to several experts, it 

 presents the appearance of a specimen which has been mounted 

 from a relaxed skin and not direct from 'the flesh'; but inasmucli 

 as this Arctic species has undoubtedly wandered in winter to Heli- 

 goland and the Fasroes, there is at least no inherent improbability 

 of its occurrence in Yorkshire, and it has been generally admitted 

 to the British list. 



This beautiful rose-breasted Gull was discovered on June 23rd 

 1823 on Melville Peninsula, during Parry's second expedition, and 

 was subsequently observed at Felix Harbour, Boothia ; while several 

 examples were seen to the north of Spitsbergen on Parry's boat- 

 voyage, as well as in Hinlopen Strait. At long intervals six speci- 

 mens have been obtained in Greenland, and two — in immature 

 plumage — in the Mainz Museum are said to have come from 

 Kamschatka. The Austro-Hungarian expedition procured one on 

 Franz-Josef Land, and Baron von Nordenskiold's party in the 

 ' Vega' shot one on the Chukchi Peninsula, Bering Strait, in July 1S79. 



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