Gf4 VIJS. tA R lD M .
L aRUS LEUCOPTERUS, F a b q f .*
THE ICELAND GfrEite; :
OR EE SEE R WHITE-WINGED GULL.- ;
, Larus Icelorudicus. j *
This White-winged Gull bears about the r-Same* proportion
in size to the Glaucous Gull tfi.at .the Lesser Black-backed
Gull does to the Great Black-backed Gull. It jyas first
recorded as a winter visitor to the British Islands by Dr.
* Prodromns Isliindischen Ornith'ologie, p. 91'(1822s).
Lawrence Edmonston, of Unst, in Shetland; and since its
specific distinctness from the Glaucous Gull has been recognized,
i t has proved to -be a tolerably frequent, although a
somewhat irregular, visitor to our shores.1 According -to Mr.
R. Gray, immature birds occur almost every year on the.
eastern side of Scotland, from Shètland to Berwick; and on
the west from Skye to Ayrshire, although adults are rare.1
The winter of 1872-8, -which' saw such an unusual arrival
of -Glaucous Gulls in the Firth of Forth, was stilT more
remarkable for the occurrence of the Iceland Gull; and the
following details are extracted from an 'interesting; paper on
the subject by Mrr^H. A. Harvie-Brown (Pr. N. H. Soc.'
Glasgow* 18,73, p. 2 1 0 ^ ||fa f
first observed' and commented upon, a few specimens
of the rarer species of "White-winged Gull '• (Larus
leuwptérus) had heen’observed .by Dr. Dewar, and afterwards
they were, seen-in some numbers by Mr, Gray and myself oh
the 4th January. As - Mr. Gray mentioned in his paper, we-
identified at least six adult bird's of this’ specieho-n that day.
Since‘then I havemetwith them abundantly--;? bin- some days
they were !mueh 'mere1 numerous than the Glaucous" Gull
(•L: glaunm). /But: it was only at sunrise on the 18th of this
mónlh that I realized my mind the vast numbers which
are frequenting the-firth. i Whether those I saw oh this day
had* only lately arrived, /or had merely remained outlof-sight;
itbis’ dhffiGultq^courseit© determine, but I think, from what
I have observed of late;That theMatter is thé mhre probable
supposition-. ; On the above-mentioned*date; I counted in a
few seconds, no less than-twelve adult Icelahdi'GuilS?as they
ftewdpw against-the wind, showing -the white ^primaries dis-
tinc%,^and as I afterwards glpwlyi drifted fin' a boat’along'thet
side'-'of - the mud-banks,§P P f f l i Gulls- wërei'èbhstantly- fin^
sigbjA^two, three, or even, more at a time. These birds
were sail flying away inland; and, in company with Glaucous
andrqther Gulls)' were; alighting on a ploughed -field on
Dutmfore) estates 'Towards theblafternoöu' scarcely a single-
Ttóelkud -Gull, wasrvisrble’nterithe waterig As’a-large body of-
Giffis* havefefi some|tiineJpast frequented, this particular field1,