350 



numerous; but it is scarcely ever seen away from the vicinity of the ice, and is consequently 

 restricted to the far north, immature birds but rarely straggling southward. In Great Britain it 

 is only known as a very rare straggler. Yarrell says that it has been procured near Torquay, 

 and more than once at St. Leonard's ; Knox (Orn. Rambl. Suss. p. 255) states that three were 

 obtained at Brighton and Rye Harbour, Sussex, in the winter of 1848; the Rev. Murray A. 

 Mathew records the occurrence of one at Weston-super-Mare in 1864; Mr. Hancock states 

 that one said to have been shot off the mouth of the Tyne some years ago is in the collection 

 of Mr. Thompson of Winlaton ; and an immature bird, now in the Sunderland Museum, was shot 

 at Seaton Carew in February 1837. 



The first recorded British specimen was procured in 1822 by Mr. Edmonston, since when 

 Mr. Robert Gray writes (B. of W. of Scotl. p. 481), " various specimens have occurred in 

 Scotland, three of which were shot in Orkney. One of these was killed in 1848 ; but from that 

 time to the present year I find no other trace of its occurrence in these* islands, with the excep- 

 tion of a specimen killed at Melsetter in May 1867, making the fourth Orkney specimen, as I 

 am informed by Mr. J. H. Dunn. Sir William Jardine has informed me that he has an Ivory 

 Gull in his collection which was shot at Thrumster, in Caithness, in November 1854. The 

 species had previously been taken in that country — a local specimen having come into the 

 possession of Mr. Sinclair, of Wick, upwards of twenty years ago. Mr. Thomas Edward also 

 includes this species in his list of Banffshire birds, one having been shot at Gardenstown in 

 December 1860. On the west coast of Scotland, where, according to Mr. Selby, a specimen in 

 immature plumage was obtained in the Firth of Clyde, the Ivory Gull has come under my 

 observation on various occasions. A fine adult bird was shot near Greenock in the winter of 

 1858; another on the shores of Arran, in September 1866, by Mr. Dunlop, of Glasgow; and a 

 third (a perfect specimen, which I had an opportunity of examining) was killed near Campbell- 

 town in February 1867. About the same time one was killed in Islay (where it had previously 

 occurred on one or two occasions), and another came on shore at Ardchattan, Loch Etive, in a 

 state of exhaustion, and is now in the possession of Mr. M'Calman there. The species has been 

 observed on the upper shores of Loch Fyne, the late Mr. James Hamilton having informed me 

 that he procured one near Minard, and saw others in 1863." Mr. R. Gray further states that 

 Mr. Sinclair saw what he believed to be an Ivory Gull on Ailsa Crag in June 1854. Dr. Saxby 

 says that, according to Dr. Edmonston's son, a specimen besides that obtained in 1822 is said to 

 have been killed some years prior to 1844 in Balta Sound ; and Dr. Saxby himself saw one on 

 the 16th January, 1861, at the same place, swimming about catching sillacks. On the Irish 

 coast it is of very rare occurrence. Thompson (B. of Ireland, iii. p. 347) cites several instances 

 of it having been seen, and two of its capture — one near Dingle in 1847, and one on the island 

 of Achil. 



In Greenland it is said to be common on almost all parts of the coast ; but it is not included 

 by Professor Newton in his list of the birds of Iceland. 



It straggles but rarely to the Fseroe Islands, where Mr. H. C. Miiller obtained an adult and 

 a young bird at Sorvaag, on the 12th March, 1858; and Captain Feilden says that he informed 

 him that in the winter of 1862-63 he received a very fine adult bird, killed near Eide, Osteroe, 

 and a live one from the same locality which lived in captivity for six months. On the coast of 



