L a r u s hybernus, or L . r is sa , "which was brought up there
about twenty-seven years ago. There is a small piece of
water which it used to frequent, but for-many years it has
nearly forsaken this, and spends its time, either sitting upon
the rails of one or tweuottages to which it confines its visits,
or flying at liberty around the country. Every spring, when
the breeding-season arrives, it leaves the parish, which is inland,
and pairing with one,of the wild birds, inhabits the
white cliffs on the coast,* whence it returns again alone when
The breeding-season is over. I t is so tame at other times
with those whom it knows, that it will come into their
cottages and eat out of their hands,rb u t will not allow itself
to be approached thus closely by strangers.”
The Kittiwake,breeds high up on rocky, cliffs-, and is found
by the egg-collectors to select very narrow ledges. The
nests are formed of sea-weeds and are generally placed very
close, together. Three-eggs-is the most usual number in
each nest: these are two inches two lines and a half in
lengthy by one inch and seven lines in breadth ; of a stone
colour, tinged with olive, thickly spotted with ash-grey, and
two. shades of light brown. The principal food of the Kittb
wake is the small surface-swimming fry of fishes, and other
soft marine animals.
Besides breeding on many of the high ranges of cliffs along
the southern line of our shore, this bird breeds also on many
of the high rocky promontories on the eastern coast, such as
Flamborough Head, the lofty, cliffs of Scarborough,-some of
the Faro Islands, St. Abb’s Head, the Bass Rock, and some
parts of the coast of Aberdeen, as well as Orkney and
* The circumstance of this bird visiting the cliffs of the Isle of Wight to
breed, induces me to believe that it was a KiUiwake, which species breed there
every year in great numbers. Our Common Gull, to which Gmelin applied the
term Larus hybernus,'breeds, on low flat islands or marshes-whenever it has the
power of choosing, and of such ground there is plenty on the Lymington and
Hurst Castle side of the Southampton Water.
Shetland, but from these districts the birds move southwards
by the end of summer,, pr the beginning of autumn. Professor
Nilsson says it breeds on many parts of the rocky coast of
Scandinavian Faber includes it among the birds of Iceland;
and Mr. Proctor observed that it was plentiful. It is known
to visit the Faroe islands, Nova Zembla, Spitzbergen, and
Greenland. Captain James C. Ross says “ it inhabits all
parts of the Arctic Regions, and has been met with in the
highest platitudes yet attained -by man. I t is extremely
numerous during the. summer, season along the west coast of
Prince Regent’s Inlet ; where, in several places that are
pecul/arly -well fitted for bfieeding-stations, they congregate
in idconceivable numbers. We killed enough to supply our
party with,several excellent meals, and found them delicious
food, perfectly free from any unpleasant flavour.” Dr. Richardson
found this bird common in various parts of North
America, and Mr. Audufron says it is plentiful on the shores
of the United Stated/' ,i;
South .of the coast": of France, which has. been before
quoted, this^ specie^, .is found at 'Genoa in winter. Dr.
Heineken included it in his catalogue of the Birds of Madeira
; the Zoological Society have received specimens from
Tripoli; M. Savi includes it in his Ornithology of Italy,
and the Russian naturalists5 .found it in the vicinity of the
Caspian Sea.
The adult bird ,;in- summer at the,breeding-station has the
bill greenish-yellow, the mouth inside orange; the irides
dusky brown ^the^ head and the neck all round pure white;
back and wings French grey, the secondaries and tertials
tipped or edged with white; the outer margin of the first
primary quill-feather black, the next three tipped with black,
the fifth with a black patch near the end, but the extremity
white; tail-coverts and tail-feathers pure white ; chin, throat,
breast, and all the under surface of the body and tail pure