THE KITTIWAKE GULL. 
31 
is afforded. Their bills and feet are now quite black, the eye dark, and they 
do not change these colours until the second spring after their birth, when 
the bill is dull yellow, the legs and feet of a greenish flesh-colour, and these 
parts gradually improve in their tints until they acquire the appearance 
represented in the plate. This species raises only one brood in the season, 
and old and young leave the coast of Labrador dt the first appearance of 
winter, or when the Ivory Gull reaches that country. This, however, I 
know only from hearsay, having received the information from a settler at 
Bras d’Or, who has lived there many years, and must know something of 
both species, as he was in the habit of salting young Kittiwakes for winter 
provisions, along with those of other species, and of shooting the Ivory Gull 
when it arrived over his harbour in the month of December. 
The Kittiwake is on land the most awkward of its tribe ; and, although 
it walks often on the rocks, its gait manifests a waddling gaucherie ; but on 
the water, or in the air, few birds surpass it in buoyancy, grace, and ease of 
motion. Bearing up against the heaviest gale, it passes from one trough of 
the sea to another, as if anxious to rest for an instant under the lee of the 
billows ; yet as these are seen to rear their curling crests, the Gull is already 
several feet above them, and preparing to plunge into the next hollow. 
While in our harbour, and during fine weather, they seemed to play with 
their companions of other species. Now with a spiral curve, they descend 
toward the water, support themselves by beats of their wings, decline their 
heads, and pickup a young herring or some bit of garbage, when away they 
fly, chased perhaps by several others anxious to rob them of the prize. 
Noon has arrived. High above the mast-head of our largest man-of-war, the 
Kittiwakes float gracefully in wide circles, until all, as if fatigued, sail down- 
ward again with common accord towards the transparent deep, and, alight- 
ing close to each other, seem to ride safely at anchor. There they now 
occupy themselves in cleaning and arranging their beautiful plumage. 
The food of this species consists of small fish, sea insects, and small 
bivalves, most of which they procure while on wing, even those left dry by 
the tide. Unlike the larger species, they do not take up shell-fish to break 
them by letting them fall on the rocks ; at least I never saw them do so. 
Their principal enemies are different species of Lestris, especially that beau- 
tiful one named the L. 'parasiticus. This tormentor follows the Kittiwake 
to the very waters around the Gulf of Florida during the winter. There, 
with astonishing swiftness, and an audacity scarcely to be surpassed, it gives 
chase to the Gull, overtakes it, and forces it to alight on the water, or to 
disgorge the fish which it has just swallowed. 
The two represented in the plate were drawn at Boston, at the approach 
of spring, when the old birds had already assumed the pure white of the 
