the fulmar 125 



East Caithness. 



In 191 1 we learn of their first advent or first occupancy 

 of Berriedale Head, on the east coast of Caithness, where 

 thirty to forty birds were observed nesting on 30th May 

 (A. H. Meiklejohn, British Birds, v., 56). at the same time as 

 they reached the east side of the Orkney Isles {ante, p. 10 1). 

 The date is later than that of their arrival at Dunnet Head, 

 and this makes it a little difficult to decide what was the 

 direction of the advance. We leave the question open for 

 the present. It remains for future observers to record any 

 further advances southward should such occur. 



Handa, West Coast of Sutherland. 



We only summarise the account of this occupancy, which 

 has been fully treated of in our volume upon the North-west 

 Highlands and Skye. In that volume also is given a plate, 

 showing the position of the first colony on the island. At first 

 when the birds " came up from the sea " in 1902 there would be 

 about one hundred — according to my informants, — but the 

 numbers dwindled to about eleven pairs by the time of nest- 

 ing. 1 This is the first reliable notice of their arrival at Handa. 2 

 In 1903 Harvie-Brown steamed round Handa, close in, within 

 say half a mile of the cliffs; and a party from the yacht 

 landed on the island and went all along the cliff top, and 

 Mr Norrie took a series of fine photographs at most of the 

 salient points. The same year one egg was procured for 

 Harvie-Brown by the Mathesons and the keeper on the 

 Scourie shootings, from the only ledge accessible at that 

 time. Another was obtained from the same place for the 

 late Prof. A. Newton, which is now in the collection at 

 Cambridge. Yet another single egg was secured by a 

 gentleman who had motored all the way from Liverpool, 



1 This appears frequently to occur ; as is natural, the first pioneers 

 are mostly composed of immature birds, and in greater numbers than 

 those that finally take possession. 



2 In regard to W. Dunbar's statement, quoted in our Vertebrate 

 Fauna of Sutherland, etc. (1887), from his MS. list of 1844, it is significant 

 that he does not appear to have included the Fulmar in the list of 

 Sutherland breeding-birds supplied to A. G. More (see Ibis, 1865). 



