496 



NATATORES. LARUS. 



KlTTIWAKE. 



General 

 descrip- 

 tion. 

 Adult 

 Bird. 



Summer 

 Plumage. 



PLATE 94. Fig. 1. Represents the Adult Bird in summer 



plumage. 



Bill one inch and a half long from the forehead to the tip, 

 to which latter it arches gradually ; of an intermediate 

 colour between lemon and wax-yellow. Gape reddish- 

 orange. Orbits of the eyes the same. Head, neck, 

 under plumage, and tail, pure white. Mantle, scapu- 

 lars, back, and wing-coverts, fine pearl-grey. Exterior 

 quill, having the whole of its outer web and the end, 

 black, the second with the end and greater part of the 

 outer web the same ; the third with its end and but a 

 small part of its outer web the same ; the fourth and 

 fifth having the ends only black, and being terminated 

 by a small spot of white. Legs and toes greenish- 

 black. 



Yearling 

 Bird. 



Young. 



Fig. 2. Represents this Gull after the first autumnal moult. 



Auriculars, hind part of the head, and spot in front of the 

 eyes, blackish-grey. Chin and under parts white. 

 Mantle deep pearl-grey. Wing-coverts (particularly 

 near the ridge of the wing and the shoulders) spotted 

 with clove-brown. The three first quill-feathers black, 

 except where a band of white margins the inner webs. 

 Tail having the outmost feathers on each side white, 

 the rest with a blackish-brown bar at the tip, about 

 three quarters of an inch in width. Bill tinged with 

 blackish-green. Legs and toes deep oil-green. 



The young of the year, that is, before the first general 

 moult, have the spot in front of the eyes, the auriculars, 

 and the nuchal crescent, deep blackish- grey. The back 

 deep pearl-grey. The upper ridge of the wing greyish- 

 black. The scapulars and tertials, with part of their 

 outer webs, black. Tail, with the exception of the out- 

 most feather on each side, having a broad black bar 

 along its end. Bill black. In this state, or a little 

 farther advanced in age, it is figured in the later edi- 

 tions of BEWICK'S British Birds. 



