405 
Family LARIDA. 
Sub-Family LARINA. 
SABINE’S GULL. Xema sabinii (J. Sabine). 
Coloured Figures.—Gould, ‘ Birds of Great Britain,’ vol. v, pl. 
67; Dresser, ‘ Birds of Europe,’ vol. vii, p. 593; Lilford, 
‘Coloured Figures,’ vol. vi, pl. 14. 
Sabine’s Gull is a scarce and an irregular visitor to the 
British Isles. An immature bird, shot in Belfast Bay in 
September, 1822, and identified by Thompson (Nat. Hist. 
Irel., vol. i11.), appears to be the earliest recorded British- 
taken specimen. 
Subsequently some ten more examples have been ob- 
tained in Ireland; on every occasion in immature plumage. 
Seven birds have been recorded from Dublin Bay between 
the years 1834 and 1884; three from Belfast Lough between 
the years 1822 and 1867; and one from Donegal Bay, 
taken on September 19th, 1878 (Ussher, ‘ Birds of Ireland’). 
It is very probable that this species has been overlooked in 
many other localities along the Irish coast. 
In England it has been recorded from the following 
counties :—! Yorkshire,* Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Middlesex, 
Kent,* Sussex, Hants,* Dorset, Devon, Cornwall,* Somerset, 
Shropshire and Cumberiand. 
In Wales, Pembrokeshire and Cardiganshire have yielded 
specimens. 
' Adult birds, much scarcer in our Isles than those in immature dress, 
have been obtained from those counties marked with an asterisk (*). 
Recently—in the autumn of 1903—three adult birds were obtained from 
the coast of Yorkshire as follows : One, full winter-plumage, September 
1st; another, full nuptial plumage (female), September 3rd: both speci- 
mens taken at Bridlington (Julian Tuck, ‘ Zoologist,’ 1903, pp. 3538, 
394). A third, full winter-plumage (female), September 5th; obtained 
a little south of Scarborough (W. J. Clarke, loc. cit., cbid.). 
