±us 
KITTIWAKE. 
and one the second week in February, 1855. The bird is 
seen on the River Nene in that county almost every winter; 
so likewise in Oxfordshire the bird is a common visitor at 
that season. In Surrey one was shot on Wandsworth 
Common, in February, 1851; and another at Hatch, near 
Godaiming. In 1846, March 30th., one was caught near 
King’s Newton, Melbourne, Derbyshire. It is more or less 
common on the coasts of Durham, Northumberland, Devonshire, 
Dorsetshire, Hampshire, both the mainland and the Isle of 
Wight. 
It is a common species in Ireland. In Orkney it is very 
abundant, and in Shetland equally so. 
They are summer visitors here, but some have been seen, 
though sparsely distributed, in winter. A young one was 
shot in Devonshire, in the month of November; and Montagu 
mentions three washed up on the shore in the month of 
March, 1806. Meyer also mentions his having obtained an 
adult bird, in perfect winter plumage, on the 19th. of 
January, 1837; and an immature bird on the 22nd. of 
February. Mr. Yarrell speaks of some seen by him at that 
season on the Dorsetshire and Hampshire coasts; and Sir 
William Jardine writes of the species as being seen also in 
winter, though rarely, in Scotland, on the coasts; sometimes 
too in the Frith of Forth; and of one as shot near Edinburgh, 
in January, 1843. The greater part of our native birds of 
the present kind would seem to retire to the eastern parts 
of Europe for the winter. This species has been kept in 
confinement, but requiring, as it does, a fish diet, it is more 
difficult to be preserved than the others which are of an 
omnivorous character. 
They are naturally fearless birds, and far from shy, and 
are readily kept in confinement. A Gull, believed to be 
one of these, and which lived for twenty-seven years, used to 
go away in summer, and pair with another of the wild birds, 
in the cliffs of the Isle of Wight, returning alone afterwards, 
and spending its time either on a small piece of water, or 
sitting on the railings of some cottage, or else flying about 
the country, so tame withal that it would come into the 
houses and eat from the hands of persons whom it knew, 
though not from others. Great numbers are shot in some 
places in the north for the sake of their feathers. 
They both swim and fly well and easily, but are indifferently 
able to walk or run on the land, owing to the shortness and 
