1186 Birds. 



kept in gardens, since they devour worms with great avidity. The 

 Larus hybernus, winter gull of Sharp's List, is only this bird's young. 



Ivory Gull, Larus ebumeus. An individual of this rare arctic 

 species was shot at Hartlepool in March, 1837. I had the pleasure 

 of communicating to Mr. Yarrell this fact in my ' List of Water Birds 

 of the County of Durham," in the year 1839 ; yet he has overlooked 

 it, as he makes no mention of any capture of this handsome gull on 

 the English coast. Mr. J. Grey writes me word, " the only ivory gull 

 I ever saw, was one which was found dead in Cowpen marsh ; it was 

 sent to me, but was too much decayed to admit of its preservation, 

 but the plumage was sufficiently perfect to show the specimen." The 

 above are, I believe, the two earliest examples which have yet occur- 

 red in England. Since this memoir was read, Mr. T. Allis has stated 

 in his ' Report on the Birds of Yorkshire,' that an ivory gull had been 

 shot off Scarborough. 



Kittiwake Gull, Larus tridactylus. The immature is the tarrock. 



Black-headed Gull, Pewit Gull, Larus ridibundus. Not uncom- 

 mon in the winter. It is one of the many sea-birds that resort to the 

 larger lakes in Switzerland during summer. It has received its spe- 

 cific appellation from its singular scream ; so, one of the hyenas is 

 called vulgarly, the laughing hyena. 



Little Gull, Larus minutus. " In my collection, shot on the Tees." 

 —J. G. 



Sandwich Tern, Sterna Boysii. This tern visits us in summer, 

 and is inserted in Sharp's ' List of Hartlepool Birds.' Common to 

 Africa and America. The eggs are very large compared with the 

 size of the bird. 



Common Tern, Sea Swallow, Sterna hirundo. The terns not 

 only present strong similitude to the swallows fHirundinidaiJ in their 

 form, quickness and strength of flight, but also in their being alone 

 seen during the spring and summer months ; and they are all birds of 

 passage. Mr. Yarrell says (vol. iii. p. 402) of the arctic tern (Sterna 

 arctica), "on the coasts of Durham and Northumberland it is plenti- 

 ful;" certainly on this part of the Durham coast I have never either 

 seen it, or heard of its being observed by any one ; although, according 

 to Mr. Hewitson, it breeds on Coquet Island; yet it is remarkable, that 

 no specimen has been discovered in this district. And as Mr. A. 

 Strickland has informed me that it is common on the Yorkshire coast 

 near Scarborough, Burlington, &c, it has most likely hitherto been 

 confounded in this vicinity, with Sterna cantiaca and Sterna hirundo. 

 The three species, however, are perfectly distinct. 



