General 
descrip- 
tion. 
Adult bird. 
Winter 
plumage. 
580 NATATORES. LARUS. GULL. 
devours carrion and offal of every kind. A young bird, now 
in my collection, was killed upwards of a mile inland, feed- 
ing upon the carcass of a dead horse. Its swallow is also 
very capacious, as appears from the fact, that an individual 
of this species, killed during Captain Ross’s expedition, dis- 
gorged a Little Auk when it was struck, and, on dissection, 
another was found in its stomach. When at rest, and not 
excited by the cravings of hunger, its manner is grave and 
silent, not exhibiting the vivacity and clamorousness that 
distinguish many of the other species ; but though apparent- 
ly inactive, it is still wary in permitting a near approach, in 
general keeping carefully out of the range of gunshot. Its 
flight is easy and graceful, appearing even more buoyant 
than that of other Gulls, which Mr Epmonsrow is inclined 
to attribute to the position in which the wings are kept, as 
they seem, when in action, to be more extended than in the 
other species. When roused, it soars at a respectful distance 
round the object of its alarm, uttering at intervals a loud 
and hoarse scream, easily distinguishable from that of the 
Black-backed Gull, or of its other nearly allied congeners. 
In Shetland the young of this, as well as of the next species, 
are indiscriminately called Iceland Scorie (that is, young 
Iceland Gull). 
PriateE 99. represents the mature Bird in winter plumage, 
and of the natural size, from a specimen killed on the 
coast near Holy Island, in February 1830. 
Bill, from the forehead to the tip, two inches and a half 
long ; wine-yellow, with the angular projection of the 
lower mandible arterial blood-red. Head and neck 
white, streaked with pale clove-brown, but having the 
chin immaculate. Under plumage, rump, tail, tips of 
the secondaries, tertials, and greater quills, pure white, 
with a silky lustre. Mantle, wing-coverts, and basal 
part of the quills fine pearl-grey.. Legs and toes livid 
flesh-red. Wings, when closed, not reachirg to the enc 
of the tail. 
a 
