OF THE HAMILTON ASSOCIATION. 55 



with dusky. Primaries and tail feathers, spotted with dusky. Length 20 

 inches. 



Hab. Arctic Seas, south in winter on the Atlantic coast of North Ameri- 

 ca to Labrador and Newfoundland. Not yet found on the coast of the 

 Pacific. 



Receiving interesting accounts from the Fishermen of pure 

 white gulls which follow their boats out on the Lake, I tried 

 in vain for two seasons to persuade them to take my large single 

 gun, and bring me a specimen. Finally I got them to attach a 

 long line to the stern of one of the boats, with a hook at the end, 

 bated with a ciscoe ; in this way they succeeded in getting me a 

 fine adult male of the Ivory Gull the only one I ever obtained. 



Genus RISSA Leach. 



13 RISSA TRIDACTYLA (Linn.). 40 



Kitti'vra.ke, 



Hind toe only appearing as a minute knob, its claw abortive. Mantle 

 rather dark grayish-blue ; first primary with the whole outer web, and the 

 entire end for about two inches, black ; next one, with the end black about as 

 far, but outer web elsewhere light, and a white speck at extreme tip ; on the rest 

 of the primaries that have black, this color decreases in extent proportionally 

 to the shortening of the quills, so that the base of the black on all is in the 

 same line when the wings are closed (a pattern peculiar to the species of 

 Rissa) ; and these all have white apex. Bill yellow, usually clouded with 

 olivaceous; feet dusky olivaceous. Rather small ; 16-18 ; wing, 12 ; bill, ij- 

 -I J ; tarsus about the same ; middle toe and claw longer ; tail usually slightly 

 emarginate. In winter, nape and hind neck shaded with the color of the 

 mantle. Young: — Bill black ; a black bar on the tail, another across the neck 

 behind ; wings and tail variously patched with black ; dark spots before and 

 behind the eyes ; quills mostly black. 



Hab. Arctic Regions, south on the Atlantic coast in winter to the Great 

 Lakes and the Middle States. 



Eggs on cliffs overhanging the water. 



This species breeds in suitable places from the Gulf of 

 St. Lawrence north to the shores of the Arctic Seas. It is quite 

 common on Lake Ontario, making its appearance early in the 

 fall and remaining over the winter. Even in summer should it 

 blow up for a day or two from the east a few Kittiwakes may 

 be seen soaring aloft as if seeking a sheltered resting place ; as 

 soon as the weather moderates they again disappear. 



