AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 243 



209. KITTIWAKE. 



Rissa tridactyla. 



The term ' Kittiwake ' is so vaguely and commonly 

 applied by inland dwellers to the various smaller 

 species of Gull, that it is impossible for me to 

 ascertain whether or not the frequent reports that 

 reach me of the occurrence of birds thus designated 

 by my informants in the neighbourhood of Lilford 

 really apply to this species, to the Brown-headed, 

 or to the Common Gull. In my own personal 

 experience the Kittiwake is a casual straggler to 

 our district ; in fact, I have only handled some 

 three or four Northamptonshire specimens, one 

 of which was picked up dead near Clapton on 

 February 10, 1885, and sent to me by the Rev. E. 

 Freeman, this is an immature bird ; another was 

 found alive, but much emaciated, in the garden of 

 Tichmarsh Rectory on November 25, 1890, and 

 lived at Lilford for about a month ; it is somewhat 

 remarkable that this bird, who rapidly recovered 

 strength and flesh in our aviary upon a diet solely 

 consisting of earthworms, declined to feed altogether 

 when the supply of these delicacies failed owing 

 to the severe frost, and actually died of starvation 

 though plentifully supplied with fish and other food ; 

 this specimen was fully adult. This pretty Gull 

 is more or less common on all parts of the British 

 coasts in the autumn and winter, but for breeding 

 purposes it confines itself, as a rule, to lofty cliffs, 

 and never to my knowledge nests on flat open 

 ground or in the neighbourhood of fresh water 

 as most of our other Gulls either occasionally or 



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