ICELAND GULL.
LARUS LEUCOPTERUS, Faber.
Larus leucopterus, Faber, Prodr. Isl. Orn. p. 91 (1822) ;
Naum. x. p. 3G7 ; Macg. v. p. 566 ; Hewitson, ii. p. 498 ;
Yarr. ed. 4, iii. p. 642; Dresser, viii. p. 439.
Goéland leucoptère, French ; Polar-Move, German.
This Gull is an irregular winter visitor to the coasts
of the British Islands ; but, so far as I am able to
ascertain from the standard authorities, has not hitherto
been found breeding in any part of Europe. It winters
in Iceland ; but, according to Mr. H. Saunders, it
appears to be confined during the breeding-season to
Greenland and the Arctic regions of America. As I
have never met with this species alive, I will merely add
that it closely resembles the Glaucous Gull in its different
stages of plumage, but is considerably smaller
and less robust in " make," with proportionately longer
wings than that bird.
