1901. USSHKR.— Shearwaters o?i the South Coast. 43 



Crookhaven about 4 a.m., but a good way off the land ; and 

 between 4.30 a.m. and 7.30 a.m. (when we got into Baltimore) 

 I saw about ten or twelve Sooty Shearwaters, chiefly near the 

 Fastnet Rock. All these birds were either single or in pairs, 

 they did not go in flocks at all, and during the same time I 

 saw nearly as many Great Shearwaters, about eight or ten. 

 Of course they soon fly out of sight, so that the same birds 

 may have passed us more than once, but I am sure there were 

 a great number of both kinds about that day. 



"On the 16th September we left Baltimore for Kingstown ; 

 there was very little wind all day, so that we only got off the 

 Old Head of Kinsale at 10 p.m. Both Sooty and Great 

 Shearwaters kept passing at intervals all day : I must have 

 seen half a dozen of each. 



"The next day, 17th September, we were off Mine Head 

 about 6 a.m. and between there and the Saltee Islands I saw 

 seven or eight Sooty Shearwaters and rather more of the 

 Great Shearwaters. I did not see any of the Sooty further 

 east than the Barrels lightship, but I saw one Great Shearwater 

 nearly as far up the channel as the Blackwater Bank off 

 Wexford. 



" We tried very hard to get a shot at these birds, but I do not 

 think they will come near enough to a yacht of any size, as 

 the sails must frighten them. A Sooty Shearwater is a very 

 eas} 7 " bird to identify at a distance, and it is very easy to tell 

 either it or the Great from the Common Shearwater on account 

 of the more frequent beat of the wings in the smaller bird. 



" I saw very few other birds, in fact I think there were fewer 

 Common Shearwaters than Great Shearwaters. I should say 

 that the Sooty Shearwater cannot be nearly so rare about the 

 S.W. coast of Ireland as is supposed, because I have only 

 cruised there five or six times, and nearly every time have seen 

 either it or the Great Shearwater, but I find that no one I 

 have come across in that county seems to know either bird ; in 

 fact very few people seem to know the Common Shearwater." 



Cappagh, Co. Waterford. 



