G U L L .
and formed riot greatly unlike that of the Skua, but is flenderer, and
lefs hooked: the noftrils come forward on the bill, and are placed
in a kind of cere, as in that bird : the head and neck are dirty
white; the tides of the laft marked with dutky : bread' and
belly white, eroded with numerous dutky and yellowilh lines :
tides and vent barred tranfverfely with black and white: 'the
back, fcapulars, wing coverts, and tail, black, beautifully edged
with white, or pale ruft-colour : the (hafts and tips of the quills
white j the exterior web, and upper half of the interior, black ;
but the lower part of the latter white: tail black, tipped with
white ; the two middle feathers near an inch longer than the
others ; the fliafts white; the exterior webs of the outmoft fpotted
with ruft-colour: the legs of a blueilh lead-colour : lower part
of the toes and webs black. This defeription is from the Bri-
tijh Zoology.
A bird of this kind was taken near Oxford, and another met
with between the i(lands of Teneriffe and Bonavifta*'.
In the Leverian Mufeum is one of this fpecies, but much fmall-
er than the above-deferibed: the general colour brown : the
head and neck crofted with numerous tranfverfe darker lines :
bread and belly mottled with dufky white ; fides barred with
the fame: bafe of the tail white; the reft of its length dulky
black; fliape rounded; the two middle feathers not particularly
longer than the others : legs, and half the toes, and webs, yel-
lowiih brown ; the end half black.
* Hawke/, Voy, i. p. 15.— The dung of this bird is red; fuppofed to be
owing to its feeding on the Helix janthbia, Lin. the inhabitant of which furnifhed
the purpura of the ancient Greeks,-^This fliell faid to be found on the coafts of
Somer/etjhire, and thofe of South Walen*~%w Phil* Tran/ vol. xv. p» 1278*
Mr.
Mr. Hutchins likewife obferved one fimilar to the llack-toed at
Hudfon’s Bay but his bird is of a larger fize, weighs more
than that deferibed in the Britijh Zoology, and is as large as any
of the genus which frequents that place : it comes in April,
makes a flight neft of grafs, and lays two pale ferruginous eggs,
fpotted with black. As the winter comes on, it retreats to open
water, and is there known by the name of Efquimeaux-keeafk*.
The black-toed Gull is a fcarce fpecies, and feems to be more
plentiful on the continent than in England: oftener found in
Denmark, where Brunnich tells us it is frequently met with lkulk-
ing among cattle, and may then be taken by the hand ; appearing
by this as if it were tired after a long flight,, or refting for a.
while, in order to purfue its route.
Lara» parafiticus, tin. Sjjt. 1' P* 226. 10. Faun. Suec. N° 156.
Catharafla paralitica, .Bre*. N® 127. 128.—Muller,N“ 166.— Faun. Groin!.
. N° 68.
Le Stercoraire, Brif. Orn. vi. p. 150. 1. (female.)
_________ a longue queue, id. p. 155. 3. (male.)
Le Labbe a longue queue, Buf. OiJ> viii. p. 445.— i3/. Enl. 762 1'.
Strunt-jager, Raii Sjn. p. 127. 2?:
Arctic Birds, Edw. pi. 148. 149.. ^
Arctic Gull, Br. Zac!, ii. N? 245. pi. Sj.— Jrtl. Zeal. N° 459:
Lev, Mu/
T E N G T H twenty-one inches. Bill an inch and a half
long, pretty much hooked,, and of a dulky colour : noftrils
* We Ihould have fuppofed this bird no other than the. Skua, did not Mr*-
Hutcbins fay that half the toes and webs was black.
f In this plate the tail feathers appear to be one third of the whole length of
the bird.
1 &>
ARCTIC G.
Pl. X C I X . .
Descrittiok,