Richardson's arctic gull. 
511 
is much less numerous than the other, not hearing a pro¬ 
portion of more than one in six or seven: in Norway 
they are nearly equal. You are made aware of your 
approach to their breeding-places long before you reach 
them by the loud, harsh, singular cry of this species, 
more nearly resembling that of a cat than of a bird. 
Nothing can exceed their solicitude as you near their 
eggs;—seating themselves at a short distance, they flutter 
about and creep along the ground, extending their wings, 
and expressing, with a language as intelligible as words, 
their anxiety. The nest is merely an impression in the 
heath, grass, or moss, upon which they lay their eggs, 
their places of breeding being uncultivated moory wastes. 
The eggs are always two in number ; and though they 
differ considerably, are readily known from those of any 
other bird, except the whimbrel, some eggs of which they 
sometimes greatly resemble. The L. Richardsonii begins 
to breed early in June. Both of the figures of the plate 
may represent this species. 
