316 LARID^. 



tiire^ so as to exhibit a uniform mass of one tint ; primaries and 

 secondaries " broadly tipped with white ; inside of wings deep 

 blackish-grey /^ tail pure white ; bill black ; inside mouth dull 

 orange ; irides black with brownish tinge ; tarsi_, toes, and webs 

 of feetj both on upper and under side, of the same uniform hue 

 of pale salmon-colour. Its weight rather exceeded 3| oz. It 

 proved to be a male on dissection. Its stomach contained the 

 remains of Crustacea, and two of the Rissoa itlva. 



Tliis gull was preserved by Mr. Darragh, the curator of the 

 Belfast ]\Iuseum, who possesses a critical knowledge of our native 

 birds generally, and who, when visiting Strangford Lough in 

 January 1848, a few weeks after having set up the specimen, saw 

 another of them, both on the 18th and 19th of that month, at 

 Eough Island. It was also adult, as denoted by its pure wliite 

 tail. The diminutive size of the bird first attracted his attention, 

 and he had the advantage of seeing it very near both on wing and 

 on the ground. The dark colour of the under side of the wings 

 was conspicuous ; the tail was square at the end (not cuneate as 

 in L. Eossii,^ nor forked as in L. Sabini). The upper surface 

 of the wing, including the primaries, was particularly remarked 

 to be wholly of a light colour. My informant's fear of injuring 

 the bird as a specimen with the large shot in his gun prevented 

 him from firing at it when seen the first day ; on the second day, 

 he had crept for a long way — after the manner of the deer-stalker, 

 as so graphically described by Mr. Scrope — and though enabled 

 to observe it attentively for some time from behind stones on the 

 beach, distant only about fifteen or twenty paces from the wished- 

 for victim, he could not bring his gun to bear upon without 

 alarming it. In his attempt to shoot it, the bird took wing; 

 but the rough nature of the ground prevented his steadying him- 

 self so as to get even a parting shot at it. 



I have no doubt of the occurrence of another bird of this 

 species near Kirkcubbin, Strangford Lough. About the beginning 



* Tliis species is noticed under the supposition that it may iu winter lose the 

 black collar, which would otherwise distinguish it. 



