1700 Birds. 



Occurrence of the Ivory Gull in Aberdeenshire. — The continued prevalence of snowy 

 and tempestuous weather for some time past has compelled the arctic birds to leave 

 their customary retreats ; and, in consequence, some of those species which are rarely 

 to be seen in this country have lately made their appearance on the shore along the 

 Moray Firth. Of these, one of the most unusual and interesting is the ivory gull, the 

 Larus eburneus of authors. An individual of this species was observed, for several 

 weeks, in company with two Iceland gulls, and another gull with a brownish plumage. 

 Its mode of flight was regular, very lofty, and well sustained. Its particular cry was 

 not heard. It was at length shot on the 29th of January last, while seated on a rock, 

 about four miles to the eastward of Banff. On dissection, it proved to be a female. 

 In length it measured 1 foot 6 inches, and in extent of wing 3 feet. Its weight was 

 twelve ounces. It has been stuffed, and is now before me. It is a very beautiful bird, 

 although it would seem not to have reached the complete state of maturity. This is 

 indicated by a grayish-black bar, which extends from the base of the bill to the eye ; 

 by some faint streaks of the same colour on the head, the nape, and the throat; and 

 by a few inconspicuous specks close beside the spurious wing. A brownish-black co- 

 lour appears in a very slight margin along the end of the tail, and on the very tips of 

 some of the quill-feathers. In every other part of its plumage the bird is of the purest 

 white, and has none of that yellow tinge which is more or less discernible in ivory. 

 On this account its specific name of eburneus, or ivory, is not, strictly speaking, accu- 

 rate, and niveus, or snow white, would be undoubtedly a more correct designation. 

 There is no appearance of red in the orbits of the eyes, and its bill has no yellow upon 

 it ; the presence of both which characters is given by Dr. Richardson, who is usually 

 very accurate, as marks of the bird having attained to full maturity. It agrees, in- 

 deed, in every particular with the descrption given by that distinguished traveller and 

 naturalist, of an immature bird of this species, which was killed at Hudson's Bay. 

 (Fauna Boreali- Americana, vol. ii. p. 419). A specimen of the ivory gull, having, also, 

 a few marks of immaturity, was obtained in Shetland in 1822 ; and, it is believed, is 

 now in the Edinburgh Museum. It was from this specimen that Bewick made the 

 woodcut for his ' British Birds,' which agrees exactly with the present specimen, ex- 

 cept in the circumstance of the upper mandible in the cut being more strongly 

 hooked than in the bird before me. The bill, judging from the present specimen, is 

 rather lengthened, and not remarkably strong ; and the angular knob on the outer 

 edge of the under mandible is not very decidedly marked. The legs and toes are 

 black. The under surface of the webs and toes is unusually rough and warty. Mr. 

 Selby says, that a specimen, also immature, was obtained since 1822 in the Firth of 

 Clyde, and it is stated by Sir John Ross, in the Appendix to his Voyage of Arctic 

 Discovery, (published in 1835), that the ivory gull had recently made its appearance 

 on the western shores of Ireland. The present specimen was shot and mounted by 

 Mr. Thomas Edward, a journeyman shoemaker in Banff. This individual, although 

 moving in a humble walk of life, and without the benefit of an extended education, 

 has been long actuated by an enthusiastic admiration of the works of nature, and has 

 persevered in their pursuit and study, amid difficulties and discouragements, which few 

 would have continued to encounter. He has directed his attention to all the depart- 

 ments of Nature within his reach ; and, by his own unaided exertions, has become an 

 excellent stuffer and preserver of the various objects in Natural History. His collec- 

 tion, formed entirely by his own industry, and in moments when not at his regular 

 ,i))(i daily employment, and greatly admired by those who were the most competent to 



