our readers can have visited the sea without having observed them flapping slowly along; now against the wind, now driving swiftly before it, and now skimming the curling waves. Of these birds we may enumerate, as most abundant, the Black-headed Gull, (Larus ridibundus,) the Herring Gull, (Larus argentatus,) and the Common Gull, (Larus canus.) Of the rarer species we may notice the Kittiwake, (Larus rissa,) the Ivory Guli, (Larus eburneus,) and the Great Black-backed Gull, (Larus marinus.)

The KITTIWAKE (Larus rissa) "is a bird of very wide distribution, extending over a great part of Europe, up to very high latitudes; over the northern regions of Asia, a great portion of the north American continent, where," Richardson says, "it abounds on the lakes, in the interior of the fir countries, and on the coasts of the Pacific, as well as the shores of the Arctic seas, to which latter it annually retires to breed." On the southern coast of England it is seldom or never seen, but visits the coast of Scotland and the northern counties every spring, appearing about the end of April, and retiring as soon as the breeding season is over. Multitudes breed upon the Bass Rock, in the Frith of Forth; at Flamborough Head, Yorkshire; and at the Fern Islands, on the Northumbrian coast; and on the summits of basaltic cliffs, where there is often scarcely a hand's breadth of room they build their nests, and rear their young, in company with guillemots, razor-bills, and other winged pensioners of ocean. During incubation, the females will not leave the nest, even upon being closely approached, but the male birds will circle round the intruder, uttering their peculiar cry; whence from its sound they have obtained their English name.

The shortness of the tarsi of the Kittiwake renders it more embarrassed on land than its congeners; hence it procures its food almost exclusively from the liquid element, over which it is perpetually sporting. The hind toe is very small, and destitute of a claw; the head, neck, and under plumage, together with the tail, are pure

white; back and wing-coverts fine pearl gray, the two first quill-feathers have nearly the whole of the outer web and the end black, the rest of the greater quill-feathers are tipped with black; bill dull lemon yellow; legs greenish black. In winter the head and sides of the neck are of a bluish ash colour. The young birds, before the autumnal moult, have a spot in front of the eyes; the ear-coverts, and a crescent-shaped mark on the back of the head, deep blackish gray; the scapular feathers black, and the tail tipped with a broad bar of black, which is the colour of the bill also. In this state of plumage it has been mistaken for a distinct species, and called the Tarrook.

The IVORY GULL (Larus eburneus) is distinguished by the immaculate white of its plumage. It is a native of the shores of the arctic seas.

The GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL (Larus marinus) is a native, though not in abundance, of our shores,

and is generally seen either alone, or in small flocks of five or six. Its breeding stations are the Bass Rock,

K K

various places in the Orkneys, and also Steep-holmes and Lundy Islands in the British channel. It is spread over the rocky shores of the continent, but does not extend its visits to very high latitudes.

The Black-backed Gull is one of the largest and finest of its congeners; and as it flies slowly along, it presents a conspicuous appearance among the flocks of smaller species; its voice is hoarse and sonorous, and may be heard at a great distance. With the exception of the back and wings, which are black, (the quills having white tips,) the rest of the plumage is of a pure white. The young birds have the upper surface of a blended gray and brown, the lower grayish white, streaked and marbled with dusky chocolate brown.

With the general manners and habits of the True Gulls, the PARASITIC GULLS (Lestris) conjoin habits of daring and ferocity, which render them the tyrants of their less warlike relatives. Fish is the food upon which they chiefly live; but, like the sea eagle, they seldom gain their livelihood by their own industry; they are the unceasing enemies of the Gulls, harassing them continually in order to make them drop the booty they have seized, or disgorge it if swallowed. Sweeping down with the velocity of an arrow, they catch it with the utmost adroitness before it reaches the water, and then continue their warfare. Their predatory habits are conjoined with external characters, which proclaim them to the eye of the naturalist; the beak is strong, thick, with an extended cere at the base, and hooked at the tip; and the claws are large and sharp, the inner one being the strongest and most hooked. The wings are long and pointed, and their flight is strong, astonishingly rapid, and performed in successive curves, or arched lines, so that it bears no resemblance to the flagging course of the Gulls. The tail rounded, the two middle feathers exceeding the rest considerably, and tapering to a point.

In addition to fish, obtained as described, they also feed on carrion, and the refuse of the sea thrown on the beach. The species are not very numerous, and are all

natives of the northern latitudes, as high as the polar circle.

Three species are natives of Europe, the Skua, the Pomarine Gull, and the Parasitic Gull. Of these, which closely resemble each other in manners, the SKUA (Lestris catarractes, TEMM.) is the largest and most remarkable. The Skua inhabits the arctic regions of Europe, Asia, and America, and is very abundant in the Orkneys and Shetland Isles, "breeding in communities upon Foulah Unst, and Rona's Hill, in Mainland." In the southern part of Great Britain it is a rare and accidental visitor.

The natural boldness and ferocity of this active powerful bird, are wrought up to the highest pitch during the season of breeding, when it has its young to defend and provide for. "It will," says Selby, "at that time attack even man without hesitation, should he happen to approach the site of its nest; and so impetuous is its attack, that the natives of the Shetland Isles are compelled, on such occasions, to defend themselves by holding up a

knife, or sharp stick, upon which the assailant has been frequently known to transfix and kill itself whilst making pounces upon the head of the intruder. Dogs, foxes, and other animals are instantly attacked, and so severely dealt with by the wings and beak of the strong pugnacious Skua, as to be soon driven to a hasty retreat, and no bird

is permitted to approach with impunity; the eagle itself being beaten off with the utmost fury, should it happen to venture within the limits of the breeding territory." After the duties of incubation are over, the Skua retires to the open sea, where it passes a solitary life during the winter, far from land; there it keeps up a warfare on the flocks of gulls, whose actions it watches, and whose booty it seizes by force. To this it adds the floating carcasses of seals, whales, or other animals, as agreeable food, grasping the flesh with its strong claws, and tearing it with the beak as we see in birds of

prey.

The nest of the Skua consists of dried weeds; the eggs are two in number, of a dark olive green, blotched with brown. The head is deep brown; the neck (of which the feathers are wiry and pointed) and the under plumage brownish gray, marbled or tinged with reddish brown. Upper plumage dark umbre brown, with lighter shades of reddish brown; tail white at its base, the remainder deep brown; the two middle feathers exceed the rest, but less so than in the other species; bill and legs black.

The genus Diomedea here claims our notice; it con

BEAK OF THE ALBATROSS.

tains the Albatross and a few allied species, the largest of oceanic birds. The beak is large, strong, hooked abruptly at the tip, and marked with a longitudinal furrow on each side, which terminates at the nostrils, which are enclosed in a short tube of horn, directed obliquely forwards; toes three before, united by webs, none behind; the wings extremely long and narrow. These birds are natives of