ICELAND GULL. 647 



the shore was almost free of sea-gulls ; but as I stepped out 

 of my room early on the 2nd of March, the air was almost 

 filled with a species of Larus which had appeared suddenly. 

 As I approached and looked up at them, I soon recognized my 

 L. leucopterus, which had arrived in great numbers during 

 the night. The Icelanders concluded, from the sudden 

 appearance of these Gulls, that shoals of codfish must have 

 arrived on the coast. They got ready their boats and nets, 

 and the fish had in truth arrived in such numbers that the 

 fishing for that season commenced immediately. Here, where 

 hitherto an ornithological quiet had reigned, everything now 

 became enlivened through the arrival of these birds, which, 

 without intermission, and with incessant cries, hovered over 

 the nets. If I wished to shoot this Gull I observed the time 

 when the fishing-boats landed, and this tame bird followed 

 the boats to shore in order to feed on the parts which were 

 thrown away by the fishermen. I heard afterwards that this 

 particular species of Gull had been very scarce during that 

 winter on the northern coast ; the Greenland ice had filled 

 up all the inlets there, and the birds were thus driven to the 

 southern shore, where I had again the opportunity of observ- 

 ing them. In this year, 1821, they remained on the southern 

 coast till the middle of May, when they entirely left it to 

 proceed northward to their breeding-places. This Gull was 

 my weather guide in winter. If it swam near the shore, 

 and there, as if anxious, moved along with its feathers pufi"ed 

 out, then I knew that on the following day storms and snow 

 were to be expected. In fine weather it soared high in the 

 air. Hundreds often sit on a piece of ice, and in that way 

 are drifted many miles. In its manners it differs from the 

 Glaucous Gull, which has the habits of the Great Black- 

 backed Gull, and moves with more energy. The nature of 

 the White-winged Gull more resembles that of the Herring 

 Gull ; its deportment and flight are more graceful ; it hovers 

 over its prey, is somewhat greedy, always active, and is not 

 afraid to fight with equal, or superior antagonists for its 

 food. 



In Greenland this Gull breeds in both Inspectorates, espe- 



