580 



NATATORES. LARUS. 



GULL. 



Food. devours carrion and offal of every kind. A young bird, now 

 in my collection, was killed upwards of a mile inland, feed- 

 ing upon the carcass of a dead horse. Its swallow is also 

 very capacious, as appears from the fact, that an individual 

 of this species, killed during Captain Ross's expedition, dis- 

 gorged a Little Auk when it was struck, and, on dissection, 

 another was found in its stomach. When at rest, and not 

 excited by the cravings of hunger, its manner is grave and 

 silent, not exhibiting the vivacity and clamorousness that 

 distinguish many of the other species ; but though apparent- 

 ly inactive, it is still wary in permitting a near approach, in 

 general keeping carefully out of the range of gunshot. Its 

 flight is easy and graceful, appearing even more buoyant 

 than that of other Gulls, which Mr EDMONSTON is inclined 

 to attribute to the position in which the wings are kept, as 

 they seem, when in action, to be more extended than in the 

 other species. When roused, it soars at a respectful distance 

 round the object of its alarm, uttering at intervals a loud 

 and hoarse scream, easily distinguishable from that of the 

 Black-backed Gull, or of its other nearly allied congeners. 

 In Shetland the young of this, as well as of the next species, 

 are indiscriminately called Iceland Scorie (that is, young 

 Iceland Gull). 



PLATE 99. represents the mature Bird in winter plumage, 

 and of the natural size, from a specimen killed on the 

 coast near Holy Island, in February 1830. 



General Bill, from the forehead to the tip, two inches and a half 

 loug ; wine-yellow, with the angular projection of the 

 lower mandible arterial blood-red. Head and neck 

 white, streaked with pale clove-brown, but having the 

 chin immaculate. Under plumage, rump, tail, tips of 

 the secondaries, tertials, and greater quills, pure white, 

 with a silky lustre. Mantle, wing-coverts, and basal 

 part of the quills fine pearl-grey. Legs and toes livid 

 flesh-red. Wings, when closed, not reachirg to the end 

 of the tail. 



Adult bird. 



