Jan., 1909. Birds of Illinois and Wisconsin — Cory. 289 



Subfamily LARINiE. Gulls. 



Genus RISSA Stephens. 



12. Rissa tridactyla (Linn.). 

 KiTTiwAKE Gull. 



Distr.: Arctic regions, south in winter to the middle states, 

 accidental on Lake Michigan. 



Adult ill summer: Hind toe, very small, without nail; head, 

 neck, and tail, white, rest of upper plumage, pearl gray; under parts, 

 white; outer web of first primary, black; second and third primaries, 

 tipped with black; ends of third, fourth, and fifth, black, tipped with 

 white. 



Adult in winter: Differs in having the crown and nape pearl gray, 

 and a sooty plumbeous mark on side of the head in front of and 

 behind the eye. 



Immature birds somewhat resemble the winter plumage of the 

 adult, but differ in having a patch of dusky or black on the lower 

 part of the back of the neck, more or less black on the lesser wing 

 coverts, and a broad black band at the tip of the tail. 



The rudimentary hind toe will distinguish this species. 



Length, about 16.50; wing, about 12.20; bill, about 1.45; tarsus, 

 1.32. 



The Kittiwake Gull must be considered a rare straggler on Lake 

 Michigan. Mr. J. Grafton Parker informs me that he has a specimen 

 in his collection, which he killed near Meredosia, Morgan Co., Illinois, 

 on November 25, 1898. Mr. Frank M. Woodruff writes, "An adult 

 male of this species was taken by Mr. Christopher Wagner, who was 

 shooting from a boat on Lake Michigan near what is known as Jack- 

 knife Bridge in Lincoln Park. The bird was purchased for the col- 

 lection of the Chicago Academy of Sciences by Mr. Chas. M. Higgin- 

 son." (The Auk, 1897, p. 228.) Nelson (in his Birds of Northeastern 

 Illinois, 1876, p. 46 ) states, "A rare winter visitant to Lake Michigan. 

 Dr. Hoy writes that in the winter of 1870 a single specimen of this 

 species kept about the harbor for several days, but was too shy to be 

 shot. He is quite certain of his identification, as he examined the 

 bird carefully with a large field glass while it was standing upon a 

 piece of ice just out of gun shot." Mr. W. W. Cooke says, "A northern 

 species coming south in winter to the Great Lakes. It has been 

 noted from Minnesota (Hatch) and Illinois (Nelson) and March 17, 



