598 BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE. 



IVORY GULL, Larus tburneus. This beautiful but 

 rare Gull has occurred on our coast, though very 

 seldom. Mrs. Tuiie, the birdstuffer, at Taunton, has 

 had one or two Somersetshire specimens of this bird 

 through her hands, one of them killed, I think she 

 told me, in the marsh, when it was flooded ; but I am 

 not quite certain about this. The Rev. Murray A. 

 Mathew, in the 'Zoologist' for 1865 (p. 9470), men- 

 tions a specimen which had been taken at Weston- 

 super-Mare, and kept for some time as a pet : he 

 also mentions another specimen, which had been 

 taken at the same place, but this he subsequently 

 found out was not an Ivory Gull, as it was much too 

 large and without the black legs : as to what species 

 of Gull it was he seemed to be quite at a loss ; he 

 described it as being as large as a young Great 

 Blackbacked Gull, snow-white all over, with legs 

 and bill of a uniform greenish flesh-colour. I only 

 mention this specimen, as, should it turn out not to 

 be a mere variety, and its species be ascertained, we 

 shall have to add it to the list of Somersetshire birds. 



The Ivory Gull, though rare, has been taken in 

 both the neighbouring counties of Devon and Dorset. 

 It is an arctic bird, inhabiting and breeding in very 

 high northern latitudes, from whence it only occa- 

 sionally wanders to our shores. It. is said to make a 

 nest of sea-weeds on the bare rocks/* 



* Meyer's ' British Birds,' vol. vii., p. 143. 



