U KITTFWAKE. 



and one the second week in February, 1855. The bird is 

 seen on the River Nene in that county almost every winter; 

 so likewise in Oxfordshire the bird is a common visitor at 

 that season. In Surrey one was shot on Wandsworth 

 Common, in February, 1851; and another at Hatch, near 

 Godalming. In 1846, March 30th., one was caught near 

 King's Newton, Melbourne, Derbyshire. It is more or less 

 common on the coasts of Durham, Northumberland, Devonshire, 

 Dorsetshire, Hampshire, both the mainland and the Isle of 

 Wight. 



It is a common species in Ireland. In Orkney it is ver^ 

 abundant, and in Shetland equally so. 



They are summer visitors here, but some have been seen, 

 though sparsely distributed, in winter. A young one was 

 shot in Devonshire, in the month of November; and Montagu 

 mentions three washed up on the shore in the month of 

 March, 1806. Meyer also mentions his having obtained an 

 adult bird, in perfect winter plumage, on the 19th. of 

 January, 1837; and an immature bird on the 22nd. of 

 February. Mr. Yarrell speaks of some seen by him at that 

 season on the Dorsetshire and Hampshire coasts; and Sir 

 William Jardine writes of the species as being seen also in 

 winter, though rarely, in Scotland, on the coasts; sometimes 

 too in the Frith of Forth; and of one as shot near Edinburgh, 

 in January, 1843. The greater part of our native birds of 

 the present kind would seem to retire to the eastern parts 

 of Europe for the winter. This species has been kept in 

 confinement, but requiring, as it does, a fish diet, it is more 

 difficult to be preserved than the others which are of an 

 omnivorous character. 



They are naturally fearless birds, and far from shy, and 

 are readily kept in confinement. A Gull, believed to be 

 one of these, and which lived for twenty-seven years, used to 

 go away in summer, and pair with another of the wild birds, 

 in the cliffs of the Isle of Wight, returning alone afterwards, 

 and spending its time either on a small piece of water, or 

 sitting on the railings of some cottage, or else flying about 

 the country, so tame withal that it would come into the 

 houses and eat from the hands of persons whom it knew, 

 though not from others. Great numbers are shot in some 

 places in the north for the sake of their feathers. 



They both swim and fly well and easily, but are indifferently 

 able to walk or run on the land, owing to the shortness and 



