KITTIWAKE. 341 



of the Pacific as far sovith as the Aleutian Islands. On the west coast of 

 the Atlantic it is not known to breed further south than Labrador. It 

 winters in the Azores, Madeira, the Canaries, on the coasts of Spain, and in 

 West Africa as far south as Senegal, and visits the Mediterranean, but not 

 in great numbers, as far east as Malta. Examples are sometimes obtained 

 inland in stormy weather ; and it has occurred in the Black and Caspian 

 Seas and in Egypt. In the Pacific it occasionally strays in winter as far 

 as Japan on the west coast, but its winter range on the American coast is 

 unknown. On the Atlantic coast of America it is found as far south as 

 Virginia and the Bermudas at that season. 



On the coasts and islands of Bebring's Sea a nearly allied species, 

 Larus brevirostris , occurs, which differs in having a shorter and redder 

 bill and red legs and feet. Both in Larus brevirostris and L. tridactylus, 

 from Behring's Sea, examples are occasionally found with a more or less 

 developed hind toe. 



The Kittiwake is strictly a sea-bird, and only very rarely visits inland 

 districts, when it is driven from its usual haunts by storms. It is practically 

 a resident on the British coasts, but numbers apparently wander south- 

 wards in winter, and many colonies are deserted at that season. Macgillivray 

 infers that it is a migrant, arriving in the end of March and leaving in 

 October ; but Gray states that considerable numbers are to be seen through- 

 out the winter. In St. Kilda the Kittiwake is said to arrive during the first 

 half of April and to leave in August. Round the English coast it is more 

 or less abundant all the winter, and at that season visits many localities 

 where it is unknown in summer. 



In its habits the Kittiwake does not differ much from the other oceanic 

 Gulls. It seldom, if ever, visits the fields near the coasts, always preferring 

 the water. It is a very sociable bird, and breeds in colonies ; in winter it 

 is quite as gregarious, and flocks of these charming birds may often be seen 

 feeding far out at sea. In many of its actions it resembles the large Terns, 

 and obtains much of its food in a similar manner. It hovers above the 

 water over the myriads of tiny fish, then plunges suddenly down, the spray 

 almost hiding it for a few moments, then rises again with its long Avings 

 raised above its back. Saxby observed that, when fishing, it always plunges 

 to windward, and never with its back to the wind. In this manner it 

 works its way along the shoal of fish, coming out on the weather-side, 

 then returns with a wide sweep and renews the search. Sometimes 

 it skims along just above the surface of the sea, or glides and wheels in 

 graceful curves, swoops downward, poises, or hovers like a Kestrel. Like 

 the Fulmar, the Kittiwake seems perfectly at home in a gale of wind, and 

 often turns completely round, when hovering, as if on a pivot. The 

 Kittiwake seldom walks far, and generally sits on the rocks wher 

 it has alighted until it takes wing again. It often rests on the sea. 



