.581 



THE KITTIWAKE GULL. 



LAEUS TRIDACTYLUS. 



Hind toe represented by a small knob without a claw. Summer plumage — Head 

 and neck pale bluish ash, a few fine dusky streaks before the eyes ; forehead, 

 region of the eyes, and all the under parts, pure white ; upper plumage bluish 

 ash ; first primary with the outer web black, four first tipped with black, two 

 or three of them ending in a small white spot, fifth haA'ing the tip white 

 bordered with black ; bill greenish yellow ; orbits red ; irides brown ; feet 

 dark olive-brown. In vnntcr, the whole of the head and neck is white. Yovng 

 hirds have the head white, mottled with grey and dusky ; upper feathers tipped 

 with brown ; bend and upper edge of the wing black ; primaries black ; tail 

 black, towards the end tipped with white ; bill, orbits, and irides, black ; feet 

 pale brown. Length fifteen and a half inches. Eggs stone-colour, spotted 

 with grey and two shades of brown. 



The Kittiwake Gull takes its name from the cry with 

 which in the breeding season it assails any intruder on 

 its domain. It is a beautiful bird, esjDecially in its 



THE KITTIWAKE GULL. 



variegated immature plumage, remarkable for its delicac}'' 

 of colouring and the easy grace of its flight, frequenting 

 high cliffs in summer, while engaged in the duties of 



