IVORY GULL. 481 



IVORY GULL. 



LARUS EBURNEUS. 



OF occasional and uncertain occurrence only. Since the first 

 recorded British example of this beautiful sea gull was procured 

 in Shetland, in 1822, by Mr. Edmonston, various specimens 

 have occurred in Scotland, three of which were shot in Orkney. 

 One of these was killed in 1848; but from that time to 

 the present year I find no other trace of its occurrence in these 

 islands, with the exception of a specimen killed at Melsetter, 

 in May, 1867, making the fourth Orkney specimen, as I am 

 informed by Mr J. H. Dunn. Sir William Jardine has informed 

 me that he has an Ivory Gull in his collection which was shot at 

 Thrumster, in Caithness, in November, 1854. The species had 

 previously been taken in that county a local specimen having 

 come into the possession of Mr Sinclair, of Wick, upwards of 

 twenty years ago. Mr Thomas Edward also includes this species 

 in his list of Banffshire birds one having been shot at Gardens- 

 town in December, 1860. 



On the West of Scotland where, according to Mr Selby, a 

 specimen in immature plumage was obtained in the Firth of 

 Clyde, the Ivory Gull has come under my observation on various 

 occasions. A fine adult bird was shot near Greenock in the winter 

 of 1858; another on the shores of Arran in September, 1866, by 

 Mr Dunlop, of Glasgow; and a third a very perfect specimen, 

 which I had an opportunity of examining was killed near 

 Campbeltown in February, 1867. About the same time one was 

 killed in Islay (where it had previously occurred on one or two 

 occasions), and another came on shore at Ardchattan, Loch Etive, 

 in a state of exhaustion, and is now in the possession of Mr 

 M 'Caiman there. The species has also been observed on the 

 upper shores of Loch Fyne the late Mr James Hamilton having 

 informed me that he procured one near Minard, and saw others 

 in 1863. 



In addition to these instances of the Ivory Gull's appear- 

 ance on our coasts, I may state that Mr Sinclair saw what he 

 believed to be a bird of this species on Ailsa Craig in June, 1854. 

 He was attracted by the pure white figure as it sat on a rock, 

 jutting from the water at the base of the cliffs. This was about 



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