to show the general line of this bird’s migration in winter,
and to call attention to a fact which is very' unusual with
Gulls: namely, that the adults which have Visited our shores
equal, or even exceed in number the immature birds. .
In the Faeroes about.six occurrences are oh record; and
on the coast of Norway, according to Mr. Collett',- immature
birds occur every winter down to Tromsoe, 69p.38# N. lat.,
where they are known by the name of ‘ Hav-rype ’ dr .Sea-
Ptarmigan, individuals in full plumage being rarely observed ;
but south of the Arctic circle only-stragglers are met With.
It is worthy of remark, in connexion with this-southern
migration, that, in his last trip to Spitsbergen; in September,
1882, Mr, A, H. Cocks did'not, meet with a single bird of
this species. It rarely enters the-Baltic, biitvis a straggler
to the coast of Denmark and Northern Germany;. and
Temniinck mentions (Manuel d’Orn. p, 498) having himself
killed a bird of this species, which was entirely white, in
spring, on-the coast of Holland. It is a rare visitor, to ,the
coast of France,, and an adult was, killed at Le-OrBtoy-,-
Somme, on the 13th September, 1869. A .specimen which
was killed in winter, some years since, near Lausanne/ ifcr
Switzerland, has been recorded by Necker, and also by Schinzi
For particulars respecting the habits-'of the Iyory. Gull,
we must consult'the narratives of; the; explorers of -high
northern latitudes. It has been observed by every visitor to
-Spitsbergen,.interesting details, embodying Dr. Malmgreh’s
account of his discovery , of its?eggs,-being given by Professor
Newton (Ibis, 1865, p, 507); and,.more recently? by the Rev.
A, E. Eaton‘*(ZopJ, s.S- p. 3810). The lat^errsays that the
4 Snow-birds,’ as the sailors' caft the Ivory Gulls, were, very
abundant, and many were shot^rsometimes-when swimming
and fishing for crqsj$cea or Cli&ne borealis.,- They never
lie down like the Arctic Terns, but either walk or. stand still;
some of them walking far into the interior of the; carcases
of the white whales, and emerging with their heads covered
with blood. At'Wiede Bay and Cape-Oetker some of the
nests seemed accessible, but neither young nor.eggs were
then obtained. ' Dr, Malmgren had" beep more; fortunate in
Murchison Bay, lat. 00°. N»,;long. 18° 30' E., where he found
a number of birds established, on the lower niches and clefts
of a limestone precipice at a height of from 50 to 100 feet.
It-was not until the 30th, July that two nests were reached
and,proved to be shallow depressions lined with dry plants,
grass,.moss,, and a few feathers, ' Each contained phe much
incubated egg, which? with the females, are in. the. Stock-*
holm . Museum. Another egg, from Hinlopen Strait, isdn
the-.collection M* Mr. Benzon of-Copenhagen.
North of Spitsbergen, Parry observed the. Ivory Gull as
far as he went on. his boat voyage; ’ and Mr. Leigh. Smith
obtained several young birds op his cruise,, in 18,8.0?'to. the
shores of Franz-Josef Land,; .he also observed many breeding
places pn his . second | voyage in 1881, when his yacht
tEira-,’-h ad to.', be abandoned. ;In Novaya Zemlya the
Ivory Gull has proved.to be abundant up to 3?8°,,N,* la t.; and
Bare© Nordenskiold. ob'sorved' it: at various: points along the
shores.of -Siberia/ When frozen up at Ritlekaj, an. immature
.specimen was. obtained as late jin the -year, as the
2$st of November, having been; offered by.the. Chukches as
a Ptarmigan.; and when Nordenskiold eagerly' purchased .the
bird, a. smile of satisfaction at the success his trick passed
olspbthe countenance -of the seller. In the summer this
bird became quite frequent.; ife-waiualso observed,by the
naturalist .of. tha:;‘ Jeannette the vicinity, of .Bennett
Island, on the 29th of July, 1881; also' in June and July,
1080,-•.during^the;.;drift;,ot'lhe ill-fated .vessel, and, on the
4th September, -1879.,ijpff| Gerald Island.. We have now
traced the range-.of this* speciqs? tp .the Asiatic.side of Bering.
Sea, but there is as [yet no record ofiits occurrence, down
the - Pacific, coast yof: North America; although,-: continuing
eastward along the shores- of the Arctic Ocean, we find a
record ,;by ^Richardson of a pair found breeding in about
W^ long. To, the; north and ea st, of this point the
Ivory Gull .has been . obseryed on almost. all the. Arctic
expeditions; „and Sir Leopold M‘Clintock obtained a single
egg. from a nest .on,Prince Patrick’s Island, in 77, 25aN5vlat.,
long. 116° m m Theparent bird was. thoroughly identified*