STERCORARIINÆ.—Skuas.—Farn L.H., August 11th, several chasing Terns. September 10th, two Buffon's Skua. Redcar, August 13th, one Richardson's Skua; 31st, two or three; September 7th and 10th, very plentiful at sea. Longstone L.H., September 2d, many Skua along shore. Cley, 25th, some Skua seen. Llyn Wells L.V., October 10th, 7 A.M. to 9.30 P.M., flock of 130 "Boatswain Skua;" 13th, flocks of Gulls and Skua. February 8th, 1886, great numbers of Skua Gulls.
PROCELLARIIDÆ.—Storm Petrel, Procellaria pelagica.—Languard L.H., October 25th, 2.15 A.M., one caught. Farn L.H., October 31st, S.S.E., one struck, not killed; November 10th, S., one at daylight on gallery. Kentish Knock L.V., November 11th, night, several. South Sand Head L.V., 11th, two on board. Hasbro' L.V., 12th, twenty all night, four killed. Coquet L.H., November 14th, N.W. (six), one caught on lantern. Shearwater.—Longstone L.H., September 2d, one, all black, seen. Fulmar Petrel, Fulmarus glacialis.—Yarmouth, October 31st, caught at sea. Redcar, three shot early in November.
ALCIDÆ.—Common Guillemot, Lomvia troile.—Flambro', February 5th, 1885, great number off breeding quarters. Longstone L.H., March 7th, many on the rocks, "are seven days earlier than in 1884." Farn L.H., February 25th, "thousands flying near nesting haunts." April 12th, "have taken to rocks." November 28th several Black Guillemot off island. Little Auk, Mergulus alle.—Longstone, October 14th, two. Puffin, Fratercula arctica.—Farn L.H., April 12th, returned to nesting quarters. Longstone, 14th, first seen, "four days earlier than last year."
COLYMBIDÆ.—Farn L.H., September 18th, two Great Northern Divers to N. December 13th, several Red-Throated Divers and two Great Northern Divers off island. Podicipitidæ, Farn L.H., September 15th, Red-Necked Grebe seen off island.
General Notes.
With reference to the rush of birds on October 16th and 17th, Mr Thomas O. Hall of the Longstone L.H. writes:—"October 16th. Starlings and Redwings commenced to come at 1.30 A.M., and continued to daylight; after that they continued to come all day, but not in large numbers. One Tree Sparrow. Wind easterly. October 17th. An enormous rush of Redwing and Starling; not many of the other kinds, only a few Blackbirds and Larks. One Woodcock was injured against the lantern, one Jacksnipe killed, also one Brambling. One female Redstart seen. Several Woodcock were shot on the adjacent islands by a boat from shore, so that there was a large flight. The rush of birds was continuous from 1.45 A.M. to 5.30 A.M. The greater part of the Starlings caught were young birds. There were also some Knot flying round the lantern, but none struck. The wind was east, with drizzling rain." Again, with regard to the November rush which was continuous on the 10th and 11th:—"November 8th. A few Redwings and Larks heard after dark, and one Fieldfare on the gallery at midnight. Wind S. to S.W., moderate. 9th. A few Fieldfare heard through the morning, and two Skylarks seen at 10.30 A.M. Several Fieldfare and Knot flying round from 6 P.M. till midnight; one Skylark and one Fieldfare caught. Wind from S.W. to S.S.E., and at midnight S.S.E. 10th. Fieldfares flying more plentifully than in fore part of the night, but not striking. No other birds seen. The flight of Fieldfares continued all day, one flock of fifty and another of two hundred passed in afternoon, also five Blackbirds and one Corby Crow in the afternoon. The Fieldfare continued up to 10.38 P.M., when the weather became clearer. One of the large Snipe struck S.E. side of lantern at 9.45 P.M., and was almost smashed to pieces; one Dunlin also killed; wind S. by E. to S.E. by S. 11th. Fieldfares, Redwings, and Blackbirds coming all day and all through the night, also Skylarks. One Jacksnipe killed. Wind from S. round by E. to N.E., light, with passing showers of drizzle. 12th. The same birds as yesterday still coming all day, and continuing up to 11 P.M.; wind from S.W. to W. by N., moderate. At 1 P.M. one Snow Bunting and a Brambling."
Farn L.H.—Mr Thomas H. Cutting:—January 1st, 1886. "Very large flocks of Golden Plover to and from land, a good many Mallard and several Snipe on island; westerly gales, hail and snow, with severe frosts. I was shown a bird picked up on the main shore about three weeks previously, which I identified as a Fulmar Petrel. I remember one being captured about nine years ago."
Coquet Island L.H.—Mr William Evans:—"October 17th. Hundreds of Blackbirds, Thrushes, Starlings, Larks, three Woodcock, one Snipe flying round lantern; one Woodcock killed, and one hundred Blackbirds, Thrushes, Starlings, and Larks."
Dudgeon L.V.—Mr J. F. Warder:—"Seagulls and Puffins are very thin at the Dudgeon Station. Skua Gulls are seldom seen here summer or winter."
Leman and Ower L.V.—Mr John Bowen (Mate):—"November 13th. Large numbers of birds at midnight round the ship and lantern. West (3), O. M. One Curlew, one Woodcock, one Blackbird, three Starlings, four Thrushes, fourteen Redwings, twelve Larks, and one Finch killed; the rest went away at daylight to N.W.