ICELAND GULL 445 
an immature Iceland Gull, swoop to the surface of the dark 
waters of the River Liffey, Dublin, and swallow foul-looking, 
floating refuse. Small crabs, fishes, and other marine 
creatures, grain, and vegetables, are also eaten. 
Nest.—As building-sites, exposed ledges of high cliffs are 
selected. The eggs vary from two to three in number and 
are greenish-buft blotched with dark brown. 
Geographical distribution.—TVhe term ‘Iceland’ is hardly 
applicable to this species, seeing that it does not breed 
in the country which bears its name. Its breeding-home 
is mainly in Arctic America. Thus it is plentiful in the 
summer in Jan Mayen Island and in Greenland, and 
perhaps breeds on the American side of Baffin Bay. On 
migration in autumn and winter it visits Iceland, the 
Faroes, Scandinavia, and the sea-board of Western Hurope 
to the coast of France. Along the North American coast 
the migration-line in winter extends as far South as Boston. 
DESCRIPTIVE CHARACTERS. 
PLUMAGE. Adult male nuptial. — Head, neck, breast, 
abdomen, and tail, white; back and wings, pale ‘ french’ 
grey ; secondaries, tipped with white, forming a wing-band. 
Adult female nuptial.—Similar to the male plumage. 
Adult winter, male and female.—Differs from the nuptial 
plumage in that the head and neck are spotted and streaked 
with pale greyish-brown. 
Immature, male and female.—Said to be darker than 
the immature LZ. glaucus (Kumlien), but of much the 
same pattern of plumage, and also passing through similar 
seasonal! changes, maturity being attamed in the fourth 
year. 
Beak. Yellow, red at the angle. 
FEET. Pale flesh-colour. 
IrmDEs. Pale yellow; margin of eyelids, pale flesh- 
colour. 
AVERAGE MEASUREMENTS. 
Tora, LENGTH <.. ... 22 in. Female smaller. 
WING att ap alow =n 
BEAK fas aA Die i 
TARSO-METATARSUS a Dart 
Kee re me a Oo se IoBane 
1 T have not as yet seen a pure white phase of plumage immedi- 
ately preceding maturity, though it seems probable that it is assumed, 
as in the case of the Glaucous Gull. 
