ICELAND GULL. 687 



and has been known to attack and kill wounded birds left 

 floating at its mercy on the waves ; in January 1895, one was 

 seen to pounce down upon and devour a Little Auk, which 

 had been shot from Filey Brigg. 



Local names : Iceland Gull ; Cream-coloured Gull, applied 

 to immature birds. Mallemoke, or Mollemawk, sometimes 

 thus called by sailors or fishermen, doubtless taken from 

 Norwegians, and used in error for Fulmar (Hogg, Zool. 

 1845, p. 1185). 



ICELAND GULL. 

 Larus leucopterus (Faber). 



Occasional visitant to the coast in winter, when immature birds 

 are met with at irregular intervals ; the adult is extremely rare. 



The Iceland Gull is an inhabitant of the Arctic regions, 

 and an occasional winter visitant to Yorkshire, though, doubt- 

 less, it is of more frequent occurrence than the few records 

 imply. 



The earliest published record of its connection with 

 the county is found in Yarrell's "British Birds" (1843, 

 Vol. iii. p. 461), where an adult specimen is reported as taken 

 in Yorkshire. This is also noted in Thomas Allis's Report, 

 of 1844, as follows : 



Larus icelandicus. Iceland Gull W. Yarrell in his " British 

 Birds " reports an adult specimen taken in Yorkshire ; the young 

 birds are occasionally killed on the east coast in winter, but the mature 

 ones are very uncommon. 



Adult examples are extremely rare, there being only 

 four captures recorded or communicated. The first is that 

 mentioned by Yarrell in 1843, as taken on the Yorkshire 

 coast, particulars of which are, unfortunately, not now 

 procurable ; three others passed through the hands of Mr. 

 Machen of Bridlington, one of which was procured in 

 March, before the passing of the Sea-Birds Protection Act; 

 a male was obtained on 28th February 1887, by W. Machen, 



