ROSS'S GULL. 305 



LARUS ROSSI*. 

 ROSS'S GULL. 



Larus roseus, Macgitt. Mem. Wern. Soc. v. p. 249 (1824). 



Larus rossii, Richardson, App. Parry's Second Voyage, p. 359 (1825) ; et auctorum 



pluri.moru.rn Nuttall, Audubon, J. C. Ross, Swainson, Wilson, Thompson, 



Fischer, Alston, Cordeaux, Newton, Gould, Yarrell, &c. 



Rossia rosea (Macgitt.}, Bonap. Comp. List B. Eur. 8f N. Amer. p. 62 (1838). 

 Rhodostethia rossi (Rich.), MacgilL Man. Brit. B. ii. p. 253 (1842). 

 Rhodostethia roseus (Macgitt.}, Bntch, Journ. Orn. 1853, p. 106. 



The claim of Ross's Gull to a place in the British list rests upon a single 

 example, which is surrounded with some doubt. The alleged occurrence 

 was first made known to British ornithologists by Mr. Charlesworth in 

 1847 (Proc. Yorks. Phil. Soc. i. p. 33) . Sir William Milner also recorded 

 it in the same year (' Zoologist/ p. 1694) , and stated that the bird had 

 been killed on the 22nd of December, 1846, by a Mr. Robinson of Saxton ; 

 but Mr. Henry Milner furnished the following particulars (' Zoologist/ 

 1847, p. 1784, footnote), which are quite at variance with those previously 

 given. He states that the bird was killed, in February 1847, by a Mr. 

 Homer, of Mitford in the parish of Kirby, in Yorkshire. These con- 

 flicting statements probably both originated with Graham, the York bird- 

 stuft'er, through whose hands the bird passed, and who may have purchased 

 the skin from a Hull whaler. This example is in winter plumage, and is 

 now preserved in the Leeds Museum. Macgillivray asserted that this 

 species had occurred in Ireland ; but there is not a particle of evidence in 

 support of the statement. 



There can be little doubt that Ross's Gull is a circumpolar species, 

 breeding in the high north, beyond the Arctic circle. It was discovered by 

 Ross in 1823, who obtained two examples on Melville Peninsula during 

 the last week of June. It was also observed further west in Boothia. 

 There are three examples in the Copenhagen Museum, obtained at Disco, 

 in Greenland. Ross saw several during his journey over the ice north 

 of Spitzbergen. One was obtained in Franz- Josef Land during the 

 Austro- Hungarian expedition. No fewer than eight examples were shot 

 by Mr. Newcomb on board the ' Jeanette/ on the north-east coast of 



* There can be no doubt that Larus rossi is the proper name for this species. Macgilli- 

 vray's earliest name -was given provisionally " Larus roseus, pro tern.," and was after- 

 wards withdrawn by himself, on the ground that Dr. Richardson had been commissioned, 

 pivtiimably by the discoverer, to describe it, which he accordingly did, naming it very 

 properly after him. 



VOL. III. X 



