66 



MUSEUM OF ANIMATED NATURE. 



[Gulls. 



the Muid or thint^le above high-water mark, the fe- 

 male depositing two or three epp in a slight cavity, 

 upon which she seldom broods dfuring the middle of 

 the day, if the weather be sultry, but sits on them at 

 night. The young birds are at first clothed in mot- 

 tled down, and are carefully guarded by the parents, 

 who are watchful and clamorous in their defence, 

 and sweep close around the head of the intruder. 

 The bill of the species is red. passing into black at 

 the lip. The top of the head is black, becoming 

 mixed with white m winter; back and wings delicate 

 ashy grey ; rump and fail white ; chest pearl grey. 

 The outer web of the outer tail-feather, and tirst 

 quill-feather, blackish ; legs file red. Length four- 

 teen inches. 



The common tern is migratory in its habits, pass- 

 ing southwards in winter. In the northern seas of 

 our island it is rare, its place being supplied by the 

 Arctic and Roseate Terns. The Sterna Hirundo of 

 Wilson is a distinct species, and has been re-named 

 by the Prince of Musignano as the Sterna Wilsonii ; 

 its habitat is the coast of Nottli America. 



2050.— The Noddy 

 (Amous stolidus, Leach). Megalopterus stolidus, 

 Boie : Sterna siolida, Linn. 



This species is only an accidental visitor to the 

 coasts of Europe, its principal range of habitat being 

 confined to the Gulf of Mexico, the coasts of Flori- 

 da, the Bahamas, the Tortugas, and the neighbour- 

 hood of St. Helena. Two specimens were shot off 

 Wexfoi-d in Ireland, in 1830. It is familiar to all 

 mariners who navigate in the equatorial regions, 

 and is often seen in flocks hundreds of leagues from 

 land ; assiduously pursuing its finny prey, and utter- 

 ing loud and discordant cries. Occasionally it 

 alights on vessels, and suffers itself to be captured, 

 probably being exhausted by fatigue from wander- 

 ing so far away from a resting-place. 



Mr. Gould remarks, that the noddy, unlike the 

 generality of Terns, builds in bushes or on low trees, 

 making a large nest of twigs and dried grass ; and 

 while hovering round it, the old birds utter a low 

 querulous murmur. The eggs are three in number, 

 of a reddish yellow, blotched with dull red and 

 purple. It does not plunge down upon its prey, 

 like the other Terns, but as it skims along the water, 

 during its rapid progress. 



The wings when closed extend beyond the tail, 

 which is rounded, not forked. Plumage sooty black, 

 forehead white, passing into grey and gradually 

 blending with the general tint. Bill and feet 

 black. 



2051. — The Scissabs-Bill 



•{Rynchops nigra). Sea Skimmer, Sheawater, 

 Cut-water ; Piscator of the Chilians. 



This extraordinary bird, whose beak differs from 

 Ihat of all its oceanic allies, is very extensively 

 spread ; it ranges along the east and west coast of 

 America; is not uncommon on the coasts of Mala- 

 bar, and Coromandel, and on those of Senegal in 

 Africa. Catesby describes it as frequent near the 

 sea-coasts of Carolina ; Lesson found it in thousands 

 off the coasts of Concepcion (Chili) ; and Mr. 

 Darwin observes that he saw it on the east and west 

 coasts of South America between latitudes thirty and 

 forty-five degrees ; and adds, that it is abundant far 

 inland along the course of the Rio Paiana, where it 

 is said to be stationary, breeding in the marshes. 



The scissars-bill is about twenty inches in length, 

 the neck being elongated ; its stretch of wing, how- 

 ever, is very great, giving a measurement of three 

 feet six or eight inches; the mandibles of the bill 

 are very compressed, and the lower, which is much 

 the longest, bears no distant resemblance to a sharp 

 and slender paper-cutter ; its length is about five 

 inches ; the upper mandible is more than an inch 

 shorter, more pointed, and rather stouter, having its 

 inferior edge channelled with a groove for the re- 

 ception of the lower blade, which shuts somewhat 

 like a razor into its handle. Both mandibles are 

 orange-red at the base, but gradually become black. 

 Figs. 2052, 5053, and 20ij4 show the bill of this bird 

 in different positions. 



The tail is forked. 



Everlastingly traversing the surface of the water, 

 this extraordmary bird flies with the celerity of an 

 arrow ; and with the tip of the lower mandible cleav- 

 ing the liquid surface, it seizes and swallows its 

 prey, namely, fishes and various Crustacea. In this 

 manner flocks skim to and fro, busy in thus plough- 

 ing the waves, each bird leaving its narrow wake as 

 it dashes on in a wild irregular course, uttering loud 

 harsh cries of exultation. Catesby says that the 

 scissars-bill frequents the oyster banks on the coast 

 of Carolina, for the purpose of feeding on those 

 moUusks ; Linneeus states that besides fishes and 

 Crustacea, shell-fish form part of its diet, and Lesson 

 observes," we had proof that this bird knew how to 

 use its beak with advantage and the greatest ad- 

 dress. The sandy beaches of Penco are covered 

 with mactrae (bivalve shells) which the ebbing tide 



leaves nearly dry in small shallows. The scissars- 

 bill, well aware of this, places itself near these mol- 

 hisks, waiting till the valves are a little opened, 

 when it immediately thrusts in the lower trenchant 

 blade of its bill between them ; they immediately 

 close, and the bird then raises the shell and beats it 

 a>;ainst the beach so as to cut the contractor muscle 

 of the mollusk, which it then easily obtains and 

 swallows. Many times have we been witnesses of 

 this highly-perfected instinct." 



The scissars-bill breeds in small flocks in marshes, 

 on sand-banks, and low islands ; the egi;s are three 

 in number, of a clear white, spotted with different 

 shades of ash. The general colour of this species 

 is dark umber-brown, approaching black over the 

 wings and upper surface ; forehead, cheeks, throat, 

 chest, and under parts white : a slight bar of white 

 across the wings ; feet red-lead colour. 



From this bird we pass to the Gulls. Attache's of 

 the sea, from whose stol-es they derive their support, 

 the Gulls on ample slowly-flapping pinions are sure 

 to attract the notice of all who visit the coast, and 

 the mouths of our larger rivers. Easy and buoyant 

 is their flight, as they sail along in wide circles, in- 

 tent upon the watere beneath. Let the gale blow, 

 and the billows roll, there are they making head 

 against the wind, and performing the most graceful 

 evolutions. 



Though the gulls float on the water, they do not 

 dive, but, pouncing down, skim their food from the 

 surface, or pick it up on the muddy beach when the 

 tide has retired. Fish, Crustacea, mollusks, and 

 dead animal matters constitute their nourishment. 

 They breed in companies, some along the shore, 

 others on the banks of small islets, or reefs ; 

 some in marshes, othera on bold rocks. They un- 

 dergo a double moult, but that of the spring is only 

 partial. Their plumage is deep, full, and soft. 



The group is spread throughout all latitudes. 



2055. — The Grkat Black-backed Gull 

 {Larus marinus). Among the various species of 

 Gull which haunt our shores, this fine species may 

 be often noticed flying alone or in pairs, and known 

 by its superior size, its black mantle, and wings. 

 It is common in the Oreades and Hebrides ; and 

 migrating south in winter, visits the coasts of Hol- 

 land and France, both in spring and on the approach 

 of the cold season. In very high latitudes it is rare ; 

 and is seldom seen in Baffin's Bay, though it is by no 

 means unfrequent along the coast of the States of 

 North America. Its cry is loud and hoarse. Among 

 its breeding places in the British Islands may be 

 named the Steep-holme, and Sandy Islands in the 

 Bristol Channel, Souliskerry in the Orkneys, the 

 Bass Islands in the Frith of Forth, and the marshes 

 at the mouth of the Thames. It builds a nest of 

 rushes, grass, &c. ; the eggs are three or four in 

 number, of an olive-green blotched with black. In 

 its habits it is very wary, and its appetite is vora- 

 cious. 



We may here observe that in the genus Larus the 

 bill is strong, straight, and cultrated; the upper 

 mandible is curved at the tip ; the lower mandible 

 has a projecting angle, and thence slopes obliquely 

 upwards to the point ; the nostrils are placed in the 

 middle of the beak, and are oblong and narrow. 

 Fore-toes webbed, hind-toe small. Fig. 2056 repre- 

 sents the stomach of a species of Larus, laid open. ' 



2057. — The Black-headed, or Laughing Gull 

 {Xema ridihundm). Larus ridibundus, Linn. 



The species of the genus Xema (Leach) are dis- 

 tinguished by a more slender bill, a slighter contour, 

 and by the head being black in summ'er, which co- 

 lour is lost on the approach of winter, and resumed 

 in the spring. The laughing gull is common during 

 the winter on our coasts and those of temperate 

 Europe; but leaves the sea on the approach of 

 spring, and visits the lakes and fenny districts of ihe 

 interior of the country, for the purpose of breeding. 

 Here it makes a nest of decayed grass among the 

 tufts of rushes, the female laying three or four eggs 

 of a pale olive-brown, blotched with black and grey. 

 The young are covered with parti-coloured down, but 

 soon become fledged, and towards the end of June 

 begin with their parents their course from the in- 

 terior seawards. Formerly the eggs and young 

 were held in estimation, and, according to Mr. Sel- 

 by, a gullery has produced a revenue of from fifty 

 to eighty pounds a-year to the proprietor. He no- 

 tices the large pond at Pallinsburn in Northumber- 

 land, and other localities in the neighbourhood, as 

 annually visited by flocks of these birds ; and Wil- 

 lughby states that in his time they yearly built and 

 bred " at Norbury in Staffordshire, on an island in the 

 middle of a great pool," arriving about the begin- 

 ning of March, and incubating towards the end of 

 April. The young were taken and fattened for the 

 table, to the number of one thousand two hundred 

 annually, and sold at a high price. 



The head of this species is a dark blackish brown, 

 the bill deep crimson : the general plumage pearl 



grey above, white beneath ; wings long and pointed ; 

 legs blood red. In winter the head is white. 

 Earthworms, slugs, aquatic insects, constitute its 

 summer diet, and it otten visits ploughed lands in 

 quest of the larvie of the cockchatfer; in winter it 

 feeds upon small fish and crustacea. 



2058. — The Arctic Skua Gull 



{Lestrig j>ayasiticus). Catarrhactes parasiticus, 

 Fleming ; Larus parasiticus, Linn. 



Unlike the true gulls, the Skua or Parasitic Gulls 

 are birds of rapacious habits, and are bold and de- 

 structive, resembling in many points birds of prey. 

 Fish is their usual food ; like the sea-eagle, now- 

 ever, they seldom obtain their livelihood by their own 

 honest exertions, but attacking the ordinary spe- 

 cies, they force them to give up their booty, or to 

 disgorge if, if swallowed, and sweeping down with 

 arrow-like velocity catch it before it reaches the 

 water. They have the beak strong and thick with 

 an extended cere at the base, and hooked at the 

 point ; the claws are large and sharp, the inner one 

 the most robust and curved ; the wings are long and 

 pointed; the tail rounded, with the two middle fea- 

 thers prolonged and narrow. Their flight is astonish- 

 ingly rapid, and performed in successive curves, so 

 that it bears no resemblance to the flagging undu- 

 lating and wheeling course of the gulls (Larus). 

 Three species tenant the northern shores of our 

 island and the higher latitudes : namely, the common 

 skua, a large and fierce bird, which hesitates not to 

 assault the eagle, should the latter venture within 

 the limits of its breeding territory ; the Pomarine 

 skua, and the Arctic skua. 



The Arctic skua is widely distributed over the 

 high northern latitudes, and is to be met with in 

 the polar seas both of Europe and North America: 

 it breeds upon several of the Orkney and Shetland 

 Islands, congregating in small flocks ; and the young 

 in autumn repair to the northern coasts in England 

 as well as those of the Scottish mainland, harassing 

 the gulls that follow the shoals of herring, which at 

 that season approach the shore ; the adults, how- 

 ever, are rarely met with so far south, but after the 

 breeding season migrate, as it would appear, east- 

 ward, returning to the Orkneys in May. It is com- 

 mon along the Baltic, and the coasts of Norway and 

 Sweden, as well as on the lakes of the interior. The 

 young accidentally visit Holland, Germany, France, 

 and Switzerland. The flight of this species is very 

 swilt, and its aerial evolutions while persecuting the 

 more peaceful fishes of the sea are extremely beau- 

 tiful ; but would interest the more, did we not 

 know the injury it is inflicting on the unfortunate 

 objects of its attack. Its nest is composed of dry 

 grass ; the eggs are two in number, of a dark olive- 

 green, blotched with liver-brown. The Arctic skua 

 defends its nest with great determination, and cou- 

 rageously darts at the intruder within its territory, 

 striking at the head both with beak and wings; it 

 also feigns lameness in the manner of the lapwing. 



In perfect plumage the forehead is whitish, the 

 fop of the head blackish brown ; all the under parts 

 pure white ; upper parts ashy brown, passing into 

 blackish on the quills and tail, of which latter the 

 two middle feathers exceed the rest by four or five 

 inches. Bill bluish ; legs black. Length fifteen 

 inches. 



Family PELECANm./E (PELICAKS, CORMO- 

 BAiNTS, DARTERS, &c.). 



In the birds of this family, with the exception of 

 the Tropic Birds, the cheeks, throat, and parts about 

 the base of the bill are more or less denuded of 

 feathers ; the skin of the throat is very dilatable ; 

 the tongue is small, and the nostrils are mere slits, 

 not easily distinguishable. The beak is long, but 

 varies in form. All the toes are united by webs, 

 the hind-toe having an oblique direction inwards, 

 instead of being directed completely backwards. 

 Notwithstanding this form of the foot, and this po- 

 sition of the hind-toe, with an ample web connecting 

 it to the innermost of the anterior toes, the birds 

 perch with facility on trees, and in the gannets we 

 find the claw of the middle toe serrated. Wings 

 ample ; flight rapid and enduring. The air-cells of 

 the body are amazingly extensive. 



2059. — The Common Tropic Bird 

 {Phaeton cetherius). The genus Phaeton, by some 

 regarded as belonging to the Laridae (Gulls), is cha- 

 racterized by a strong, compressed, elongated, and 

 pointed bill with dentilated edges; the nostrils are 

 linear; the cheeks are feathered; the legs are very 

 small and short ; the wings long and pomted ; the 

 tail short ; with the exception of two long, slender, 

 but wiry feathers. 



The navigator well knows these birds as har- 

 bingers of the tropics, where, far from land, they 

 may be seen soaring over the ocean, or giving chase 

 to the flying-fishes, which rise in glittering shoals 

 above the surface of the waves. Their flight is 

 extremely graceful : they often glide along, without 



