258 LARID^E. 



peared the feathered dervishes of the air, whose rapid and 

 unwearied flight had brought a delirium of ecstacy upon 

 them. 



Some, at a distance from the flock, rested upon the water 

 with that extraordinary buoyant appearance of the larger 

 gulls, the tail being raised so high as almost to lead one to 

 doubt as to the true position of the head. 



Oftentimes during winter we observe one of these birds on 

 the wing steadying himself after each blast of wind, poising 

 a moment, and again shooting forward : we might say with the 

 poet : 



" White bird of the tempest oh ! beautiful thing 

 With the bosom of snow and the motionless wing ; 

 Now silently poised o'er the war of the main, 

 Like the spirit of charity brooding o'er pain." 



Indigenous. 



SPECIES 247 THE GLAUCOUS GULL. 



LOTUS glaucus. Briss. 

 Mouette bur germeister. Temm. 



THE GLAUCOUS GULL can only be reckoned as an occasional 

 visitant to our shores, and at different seasons, having been 

 obtained both in summer and winter, and in adult and im- 

 mature plumage. 



Of great rarity in the full adult plumage, but two instances 

 of its occurrence have been noticed : one in the Ordnance 

 Museum, shot near Londonderry, and the other coming un- 

 der observation from a specimen shot in the county of Gal- 

 way during the famine year of 1846, and of which the fol- 

 lowing particulars were obtained, coinciding in correctness 

 with Mr. Edmonston's remark,* " that, when allured by 

 carrion it enters the bay, and boldly ventures inland." In 

 the present instance a soup kitchen had been established 

 within some distance of the coast, and each day the stately- 

 looking fellow left its maritime domain, and sailed about the 

 vicinity, where it had been attracted by the smell. Many 

 of the peasants regarded it with an unfavourable eye, not 

 being accustomed to observe a white bird of such dimensions 

 floating in the air, and uttering its hoarse, cackling cries over- 

 head as if laughing at their misery. It was shot soon after 

 by a gentleman from Galway, who forwarded it to Mr. Glen- 

 non, who kindly presented it to us, but unfortunately too 



* Jar dine. 



