KITTIWAKE. 
100 
position of the legs. They feed on sea productions—fish, 
shrimps, and other Crustacea, and the like. 
The note of this Gull is considered to be expressed by its 
name, and is very often uttered. All the sea-birds’ cries are 
in themselves harsh and discordant, but no doubt they sound 
‘most sweet voices’ in one another’s ears, as much so as those 
of the Nightingale or the Thrush are supposed by us to do 
to those of their own kinds. 
The Kittiwake lays its eggs upon or in any small ledge 
or cleft on the side of a steep and rocky cliff by the sea. 
These are often so narrow and apparently insecure, that Selby 
says the young seem instinctively aware of their perilous 
situation, whence sometimes the least movement would pre¬ 
cipitate them into the waves beneath, and are observed seldom 
to change their attitude in the nest till sufficiently fledged 
to be able to provide for their own safety. Immense numbers 
of these birds build together, so much so as completely to 
whiten the places where they assemble for the purpose, and 
to give them the appearance of being covered with snow. 
The nest is a mixture of grass and other dry herbage, with 
sea-weed. 
The time for laying is the latter end of May, or the 
beginning of June. 
The eggs are usually two, but occasionally, though very 
rarely, three in number. They differ much in their colouring 
and markings; the prevailing tint is stone-colour with a tinge 
of olive, much spotted with grey and brown of two shades; 
or greyish white, faintly tinged with brown, and blotted with 
dark brown and purple grey. 
Male; weight, about fourteen ounces; length, one foot two 
to one foot three inches and a half or even four inches; bill, 
pale yellow, greenish yellow at the tip, the upper mandible 
rather arched, the inside of the mouth reddish orange colour. 
Iris, dark dusky brown, the edges of the eyelids reddish 
orange; head on the sides, crown, neck, and nape, white; in 
winter the sides around the eye and the back of the head 
are streaked with dark grey, the nape with bluish or blackish 
grey. Chin, throat, and breast, white; back, pale bluish grey. 
The wings reach in extent from three feet two to three 
feet four inches; greater and lesser wing coverts, pale bluish 
grey. Of the primaries, the first has the whole of the outer 
margin black, the second with the end and the greater part 
of the outer web the same, the third with its end and still 
