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T H E K I T T I W A K E G U L L.
LARUS TRIDACTYLUS, LATH.
PLATE CCXXIV. ADULT IN SUMMER, AND YOUNG IN WINTER.
THIS beautiful Gull ranges, during the autumnal and winter months,
along the whole of our extensive coasts. I have procured it from the
mouth of the Mississippi to the coast of Maine, and have traced it from
the latter district to Labrador. Yet I never saw it on any of our great
lakes or rivers, nor in any part of the interior. From New York to Eastport
it is extremely abundant, and many breed on the Island of Grand
Manan, off the entrance of the Bay of Fundy.
As we approached the famous Gannet Rock of the Gulf of St Lawrence,
the wind suddenly rose to a gale ; but as I was exceedingly anxious
that a landing should be effected on the island, every exertion was made
to enable me to accomplish my-purpose. The whale boat was manned.
THOMAS LINCOLN and my son leaped into it, accompanied by young
COOI.EDGE. Urged by strong pulls, the buoyant boat advanced towards
the grim rock. For nearly an hour it became hidden from my sight; but
now and then the report of a gun brought intimation that all was as yet
safe; and at length I had the great pleasure of seeing it advancing towards
the Ripley, which stood off and on, shivering as it were under the
heavy blast. My eye fixed to the telescope, watched every movement of
the boat, as with fear I saw it tossed from billow to billow, this moment
a glimpse of her keel appearing over the edge of a wave, the next a foot
of her stem only seeming to float on the waters. " Pull steadily on, my
good lads,1'1 at last came on my ear, when, by a heavy surge, the floating
shell was driven back some twenty yards, as I thought, and the wave,
foaming with wrath, broke over her. Breathless and exhausted, the crew
at length came within reach of a line, as the boat was dangerously plunging,
when by good luck the rope was thrown across her, and in a few moments
she lay snug under our lee. How happy was I when I again saw
my son, my young companions, and the sailors, on the deck of the Ripley.
Quickly was the whaler hauled on board, and with joy we saw our vessel
fly off like a Kittiwake before the gale.
When the anxiety was over, inquiries were made as to the success of the
KITTIWAKE GULL. 1S7
adventurous party. Several nests of the Kittiwake and many of its eggs
had been brought safe on board. Notes had been taken on the spot, and
the result of the expedition was as follows:—The nests were found placed
on some ledge of the huge rock, so small as barely to admit their breadth,
which was about a foot. They were placed where no other bird than the
Guillemot would have ventured to drop its egg, or the Raven to fix his
nest. Yet on that narrow platform the Kittiwake sat on its three eggs,
as unconcerned as if in a meadow. he nests were altogether composed
of sea^weeds called " eel-grass," and coarse grasses, probably procured on
the top of the rock, or stolen from the nest of some unwary Solan Goose.
Their inner surface was quite flat, although some of the nests were many
inches in thickness, and looked as if they had been increased in bulk year
after year. The sitting birds remained on their eggs with uncommon
pertinacity, seldom indeed flying off", but merely moving aside. The
male birds, or those that had no eggs, on the contrary, were extremely
clamorous, flew around the party in great concern, and shewed much courage.
The eggs are of a light olive-green colour, marked with numerous
irregular spots of dark brown. Their average length is two inches and a
quarter, their greatest breadth one inch and seven-eighths. No other
species of Gull was seen about the rock; and indeed I have regularly observed
that each species of this genus breeds far apart, although at all
other seasons it may associate with others.
The young remain a considerable time in the nest or about it, when
room is afforded. Their bills and feet are now quite black, the eye dark,
and they do not change these colours until the second spring after their
birth, when the bill is dull yellow, the legs and feet of a greenish fleshcolour,
and these parts gradually improve in their tints until they acquire
the appearance represented in the plate. This species raises only one
brood in the season, and old and young leave the coast of Labrador at
the first appearance of winter, or when the Ivory Gull reaches that country.
This, however, I know only from hearsay, having received the information
from a settler at Bras d'Or, who has lived there many years,
and must know something of both species, as he was in the habit of salting
young Kittiwakes for winter provisions, along with those of other species,
and of shooting the Ivory Gull when it arrived over his harbour in
the month of December.
The Kittiwake is on land the most awkward of its tribe; and, although
it walks often on the rocks, its gait manifests a wraddling gaucherie; but