RH ÜD OST ET HIA ROSSII.
Ross’s Gull.
L am roseus, Jard. & Selby, 111. Ora., vol. i. pi. 14.
— Rossii, Rich. Parry’s Second Voy., App., p. 3 5 9 . '
Russia rosea, Bonap. Geog. and Comp. List of Birds of Eur. and N. Amer., p. 62.
Rhodostethia Rossii, Macgill. Man. of Nat. Hist. Ora., vol. ii. p. 252.
rosea, Baird, Cat-, of N.-Amer. Birds in Mus. Smithsonian Inst., no. 678.
This small and beautifully coloured Gull has a just claim to a place in the avifauna of Britain, from the.
circumstance of an tndtvidml having been killed in Yorkshire—and in that o f continental Europe, from
another example ren shot in Heligoland. The native home o f the species is, doubtless, the high
northern region*
Peninsula, and a e haring been seen as far towards the poles as our intrepid navigators have yet
penetrated, beys little » known respecting this the rarest species o f the Larina. To these few
brief sentences 1\ suftjofo tbc scanty information that has been recorded, and would recommend any one who
may hereafter vo ds the north pole to distinguish himself by observing and commuu¡eating to the
world ail He can rcspet'tkg its habits and economy.
Mr John Richard*«, mys (in the * Fauna Boreali-Americana,’ Part ii. The Birds) :— “ Two specimens
of this Gull were kîfti'4 on the coast of Melville Peninsula, on Sir Edward Parry’s voyage, one o f which is
preserved m the Museum o f the University o f Edinburgh, and the other was presented to Joseph Sabine,
Esq. No other examples are known to exist in collections ; but Commander Ross, in his Zoological Appendix
to Sir Edward Parry’s Narrative o f his most adventurous boat-yoyage towards the pole, relates that
several were seen during their journey over the ice north o f Spitzbergen, and that Lieutenant Forster also
found the species in Waygate Straits, which is probably one of its breeding-places. It is to Commander
Ross, who killed the first specimen which was obtained, that the species is dedicated, as a tribute for his
unwearied exertions in the promotion of natural history on the late Arctic voyages, in all o f which he bore a
part. Of the peculiar habits or winter retreat o f the species nothing is known.” O f the two specimens
above mentioned, the one presented to the Museum o f the Edinburgh University is still extant ; and I have
to record my obligations to Professor Archer and the other authorities o f that Museum, for their kindness
in permitting their valuable specimen to be forwarded to London for my use in the present work ; the
whereabouts of the other, presented to Mr. Sabine, cannot, after a diligent investigation, be ascertained ; it
is pint possible that it may be the example in the Derby Museum, at Liverpool, which was also kindly sent
up for my use.
” f I k no w le dg e of the occurrence o f this very rare Gull in Yorkshire,” says Yarrell, “ and its consequent
Mb? be included in » history o f British birds, we are indebted to Mr. Charlesworth, who, in a paper
published la ov; rsf-.vi rofome o f the * Proceedings o f the Yorkshire Philosophical Society,’ gave all that was
known reapeormg * 1 he capture i>> authenticated by the following memorandum, supplied by Sir William
Milner, o f Nun Appte&wn -—1 Ros« s Gull was killed by Horner, Lord Howden’s bead gamekeeper, in
February 1847, in a field, near the hamlet o f Milford-cum-Kirby, in the parish o f Kirby. Its flight
resembled, according to Hqwmw'» wconnt, the flight of any other Gull ; and it did not seem at all shy.’
Mr. William Macgillivray include* 0 m bird in his 1 Manual o f British Birds,' vol. ii. p. 254, published in
1842, with the remark that ‘ this spec«* Im;- «.¡ s- occurred in Ireland.’ I remember to have seen, some
years ago, a notice in print that thi* bird W W n once taken in Ireland ; but, from the countries visited or
known to the writer o f that article. Bad fro«« ffe tireumswnee that this species bad only been seen in high
northern latitudes, I came to the conclusion that the printer had made a mistake o f one letter, and for
Ireland we ought to read Iceland. Add to this that the birds of Ireland have been carefully worked out by
Mr. Thompson, o f Belfast, oni> o f the best authorities for Irish birds, and this species is not included by him
in his fauna o f that country. I may also add that Ross’s Gull has no place in Mr. Watter’s useful * Manual,
o f the Birds o f Ireland,’ published iti Dublin in 1853.”
Sir John Richardson’s description “ o f a specimen killed, June 1823, at Alagnak, Melville Peninsula,
8 8 -P N.,” is as follows
** Colour.—Scapulars, interscapulars, and both surfaces o f the wings clear pearl-grey; outer web o f the
.first quill blackish brown to its tip, which is grey ; tips o f the scapulars and lesser quills whitish. Some