THE ICELAND GULL. 
385 
brought up. In the third volume of Loudon’s f Magazine of 
Natural History/ p. 155, a pleasing account of a tame bird of 
this species will also be found. 
THE ICELAND GULL. 
Larus Islandicus, Edmonston (1822). 
,, leucopterus, Eaber (do.)* 
Is only known as a bird of extremely rare occurrence on 
the coast, 
But may, like the glaucous gull, be less rare than the very few 
preserved specimens indicate. What is said of the latter species 
relatively to L. marinus, equally applies to the L. Islandicus, 
compared with the lesser black-backed gull. 
The Ordnance Museum contains an immature specimen, said 
to have been procured at Lismore, county Donegal, in October 
1839, and a young bird was obtained in Tralee Bay in the winter 
of the same year (?).f An immature bird, which I purchased 
in a fresh state, was shot on the 20th of January, 1843, on the 
river Lagan, between the two bridges, close to the town of Belfast. 
This bird, though “ in full possession of all its faculties/’ was so 
tame as to be within the reach of stones thrown by idle boys, 
and kept its ground, unless when struck by them ; even then it 
flew but a few yards and again alighted. A casual passer-by, 
perceiving that the bird would be an easy prey, went for a gun 
and shot it. 
On the 25th of January, 1849, one of these birds was seen by 
Mr. B. Warren, jun., flying in company with some herring-gulls, 
at Seamount, Cork harbour, and again on the 29th of the same 
month, close to the quay at Cove. On the 2nd of Eebruary, two 
* Both these names were published in the same year, hut I am not aware which 
preceded the other, 
f Mr. R. Chute. 
VOL. III. 2 C 
