VOL. XV.] NOTES. 215 



appeared long and narrow. Colour white, with a pale cream 

 or ivory tint on the back and wing-coverts. Bill pale fleshy- 

 yellow ; feet pinkish. It came frequently within 10-15 yards, 

 and was watched with glasses at intervals for about twenty 

 minutes. Some twenty or thirty Kittiwakes were also about 

 the ship at the same time. There seems very little doubt that 

 this bird was an albino Kittiwake {Rissa t. tridactyla) , and it 

 is interesting to note that Mr. S. H. Smith {Naturalist, 1921, 

 p. 364), records a white variety of the Kittiwake as seen in 

 Bridlington Bay, Yorks., " during the autumn." This bird 

 is described as pure white, bill ivory and legs [feet] white ; 

 eyes apparently light brown. 



While writing on this subject I should like to refer to a 

 record of a " probable " Ivory-Gull at Cardiff on April 3rd, 

 1921 {Brit. Birds, antea, p. 22). This bird was also white 

 with the exception of some dark spots on the primaries, bill 

 light, feet dark, and agreed exactly in size with the Common 

 Gulls (L. caniis), with which it was associating. Mr. G. C. S. 

 Ingram suggests that this was an immature Ivory-Gull 

 {Pagophila ebnrnea) . At the time I had no personal experience 

 of the latter species in a wild state, but during the past summer 

 we met with a good many in Spitsbergen, and had opportuni- 

 ties of observing their habits and appearance. April is a very 

 unlikely time for an Ivory-Gull to visit us, and it is quite 

 improbable that a straggler would associate amicably with 

 Common Gulls, or remain in the neighbourhood till June. 

 The difference in size would also be striking, and the carriage 

 is also quite different and would catch the eye even more than 

 the size. The Ivory-Gull is a fierce and self-assertive bird, 

 and will even drive the formidable Glaucous Gull (L. hyper- 

 boreus) from its prey. Whatever this bird was, and it may 

 have been an albino of one of our smaller gulls, I do not think 

 it can have been an Ivory-Gull. Mr. Ingram has kindly 

 furnished some additional details, and adds that it was again 

 seen on May 8th at Lisvane Reservoir by Mr. H. M. Salmon, 

 who describes it as considerably larger than the Black-headed 

 Gulls, but of similar build. On June 13th the bird was again 

 seen at Sully Island, eight miles west of Cardiff. Here a very 

 good view was obtained and the following details noted : eye 

 dark, beak yellowish-green, feet slate : flight like that of a 

 Tern or Black-headed Gull. At close quarters the vermilion 

 ring round the eye of the Ivory-Gull would be perceptible. 

 The colouring of the soft parts seems to suggest a Kittiwake 

 rather than a Common or Black-headed Gull, but might well 

 have been somewhat abnormal. F. C. R. Jourdain. 



