An Account of Taking of Four Sets of Eggs of the Ivory Gull
An Account of the Taking of four Sets of Eggs of the Ivory Gull.
FOUR eggs of the Ivory Gull (Larus eburneus) were brought home by Gustaf Kolthoff, naturalist to the Nathorst Swedish Expedition in the summer and early autumn of 1898, having been received from Captain Kjaeldsen of the ship Frithiof in exchange. Mr. Kolthoff writes "When we were going from King Carls-Land to Franz Josef-Land we met on the way the steamer Frithiof, owner the old ice traveller Captain Kjaeldsen, who had been there with the Wellman Expedition. Captain Kjaeldsen told me that when returning and sailing close to the coast they had, near Cape Oppolzer on the S. W. of Franz Josef-Land in 80.04 N. latitude to about 57° E. longitude, visited a little, low-lying, unnamed island, situated very nearly south of Cape Oppolzer, upon which were breeding a large number of 'Ice Gulls' (Ivory Gulls). The nests were on the flat ground, built of green moss, and only in four cases was there still a single egg, in all the rest were young, very small, half-grown and none so grown that they could use their wings. The four eggs were all strongly incubated. This was on August 4 and upon the 12th we met the steamer and I obtained all that Captain Kjaeldsen had-four eggs and one young bird. As I understood Captain Kjaeldsen the Wellman Expedition had left his ship before it visited Cape Oppolzer." Mr. Kolthoff adds "On the Spitzbergen and King Carls-Land coasts the Ivory Gulls had their nests on high cliffs where it is nearly impossible to reach them." Two of the above eggs are in the Upsalu Museum and the two others in my collection. The latter measure 2.29 x 1.69 and 2.25 x 1.68 inches.
A. W. JOHNSON
Waterside, Eng.
(The BULLETIN, though devoted to Pacific Coast ornithology, gladly gives space to the above notes on this rare and beautiful Gull. Mr. Johnson is a member of the Cooper Club, and is now enjoying a sojourn in his old home. ED.)
