LARID.E — THE GULLS AND TERNS — RISSA. 



Hab. Circuinpolar Regions in summer, coming south in winter to the Middle States and Great 

 Lakes ; no Pacific coast record south of Ahiska. 



Sp. Char. Adult, in summer: Mantle deep pearl-gray (about the same shade as in Larus 

 brachyrhynchus and L. califomicus), the secondaries passing into white tenninally. Primaries paler 

 pearl-blue, the five outer quills with their terminal portion black, I'lis color extending for about 

 3.25 inches on the outer and .7.5 of an inch, more or less, on tlie fifth, and of intermediate extent on 

 those between ; outer web of the exterior cpiill almost wholl}^ black ; inner cpiills pale pearl-blue, 

 scarcely paler terminally, the sixth sometimes marked with a black spot near the end of the outer 

 web ; fifth quill tijjped with white, and fourth with a minute apical spot (when not worn off). 

 Rest of the plumage snow-white. Bill pale yellow, sometimes tinged with greenish ; inside of 

 mouth vermilion-red ; eyelids red ; iris brown ; 

 legs and feet black or dusky brown. Adult, in 

 winter: Similar, but nape and occiput washed 

 with the color of the back, the auricular region, 

 and immediately in front of the eye, with a 

 dark plumbeous sufi'usion, sometimes extending 

 across the occiput. Young, first plumage : Some- 

 what similar to the winter adult, but lower 

 part of nape covered by a large transverse patch 

 of black, the anterior lesser wing-coverts also 

 more or less black, as are the centres of the inner 

 longer coverts and tertials ; primary coverts and 

 outer webs of four or five outer primaries also 

 black. Tail crossed at the end (except lateral 

 pair of feathers) by a broad black band, widest 

 on the intermedia). Bill wholly black ; " edge 

 of eyelids and iris as in the adult " (Audu- 

 bon) ; legs and feet dusky brownish. Downy 



young: Head, neck, wings, and lower parts, immaculate white, the nape and base of the wings 

 more or less tinged with buff ; back, rump, and flanks, yellowish gray, the down darker at the 

 base. 



Wing, about 12.25 inches ; culmen, 1.40-1.50 ; depth of bill at base, .59, through angle, .40 ; 

 tarsus, 1.30 ; middle toe (with claw), 1.80. 



The Common Kittiwake is a northern species, found both in Europe and America, 

 in the waters of the Atlantic, and represented on the Pacific by an allied form so 

 essentially similar to it that the two cannot be specifically distinguished from each 

 other. It is more or less abundant in the northern portions of Asia and Europe, 

 and occurs on both the eastern and western shores of North America in northern 

 latitudes. During the winter it wanders south in an irregular manner. 



Mr, Godman met with a few individuals about the harbor of Punta Delgada, in 

 the Azores, on his arrival there, and was informed by the master of one of the fruit 

 schooners that these birds frequently followed his vessel through the whole of the 

 voyage from England. Mr. Godman was led to believe that this species breeds about 

 the coast of Teneriffe. He is confident that he saw either this bird or L. canus 

 at Teneriffe in the middle of May, but he Avas not able to secure any specimens. 

 Mr. Saunders found the Kittiwake abundant on the outside of the Straits of Gibraltar 

 in the winter, but it was more rare to the eastward. 



The Kittiwake is given by Middendorff as a bird of Siberia, where it extends its 

 movements to the farthest north. Mr. Gillett mentions his having found it common 

 along the entire coast of Nova Zembla. Von Heuglin found it one of the most com- 

 mon species on the west coast of Nova Zembla. It was not seen in IMattliews' Strait, 

 nor on Waigatsch Island. 



