LARUS EBURNEUS. 



(The Ivory Gull.) 



James Lamont, in his 'Seasons with the Sea-Horses' (p. 162), says: — 

 " Whenever a Hfe is taken there is an immediate assemblage of the vultures 

 of the North, the Ivory Gull (^Larus eburneus), this most beautiful of the tribe 

 being of a snowy whiteness, except his feet and eyes, which are black. They 

 are perfectly tame and fearless, and flutter impatiently about, or sit on the 

 ice, and even on the boat, making a harsh, disagreeable scream, until the 

 flensing is concluded, when they make an immediate onslaught on the car- 

 cass ; but so greedy and rapacious are they, that they always commence by 

 fighting and squabbling among themselves, as if the huge body of a seal 

 or a walrus was not sufficient for them." 



A captain R.N., who had been to the arctic regions, mentioned to me 

 (Jan. 1860) that this species is always on the ice, and is a great runner, 

 while most Gulls only run, as he observed, when about to fly. 



I have kept four or five or more species of Gulls, some for many years ; 

 and, as my window looks out upon them, they are ever before my eyes. The 

 result of my long observation is, that their intelligence may be increased by 

 association with man, within certain limits. I will not, however, in proof of 

 this, introduce anecdotes connected with them, but only remark of birds in 

 general that, having at times reared them from the nest, I have seen at a 

 very early period diff^erences of disposition in each individual, which dif- 

 ferences have continued through life, and were, as I believe, hatched with 

 them. 



Mr. Darwin, in his 'Descent of Man' (vol. ii. p. 108), says : — "Their 

 reason is generally, and perhaps justly, ranked as low ; yet some facts could 

 be given leading to an opposite conclusion. For instance, Mr. Yarrell states 



