268 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



II. — Notes on the Fern Islands, and some of the Birds lohich are 

 found there. By Mr J. H. Gurney, jun. 



The Fern * islands, off the coast of Northumberland, belong to 

 Mrs Thorpe of Durham, and there is no property in the three 

 kingdoms, public or private, better worth a visit. Here are no 

 tremendous precipices, as at Flamborough, but the number of 

 species of birds is much greater. The gay ornament of the 

 islands is the Eider Duck, which breeds in large numbers, and 

 there are also three or four exquisitely graceful species of Terns, 

 which are annual visitors ; but what chance either the race of 

 Eiders or the Terns have of lasting, if the present state of things 

 goes on, I cannot tell, for summer after summer the birds are 

 shamefully misused, and their eggs poached, and this in spite of a 

 paid keeper who resides on the islands. Rascals have been known 

 to land from steamers, and steal everything they could lay their 

 hands on; and worse than that happened on one occasion. A 

 party of them having collected all the young Sandwich Terns, 

 etc., that they could find, piled them together, and heaped a 

 number of " peats " over them, and then, with a refinement of 

 cruelty scarcely to be surpassed, they set fire to the peats, and 

 consumed the pile — the whole pile — living and dead ! It was a 

 deed worthy of the Druids, who burnt men in wicker-baskets at 

 Stonehenge ! But the birds will not stand such treatment. They 

 will find out that if they are not protected in this country, they 

 are in Norway. They are beginning to quit the Fern islands. A 

 few more seasons may see them gone, not from there only, but 

 from every other place where the law of England is set at nought, 

 and an indefensible and senseless persecution is carried on for the 

 gratification of the few who can find a pleasure in shooting down 

 the birds of our rocky headlands, at the expense of the many, — 

 not naturalists alone, but lovers of scenery, of the wild rocks and 

 of the deep ocean, — who derive their greatest pleasure, each 

 summer visit, from those places. 



There are two villages from which to visit the Fern islands, and 

 no order is required if it is not intended to take eggs ; but if that 

 be the object of the visit, I believe an application to the Rev. 

 Charles Thorpe, Durham, will obtain permission for any naturalist 

 to take a limited number. There is the dirty redolent fishing- 



* Sometimes written Feme, and sometimes Fame. 



