THE FULMAR 131 



these islands. The probable cause or causes of the 

 phenomenon, and whether the new settlers came from St 

 Kilda or some station in the northern regions, or from 

 both, are highly interesting questions which may be left for 

 future discussion. Neither is it our intention to treat in this 

 article of the autumn and winter range of the species. 

 Allusion may, however, be made to abnormal visitations to, 

 for instance, the North Sea. Whilst annually a certain 

 number attend the fishing-fleets at the Dogger Banks and 

 the North Sea generally, and come at times to within even 

 ten or fifteen miles of the land, the years 1875 and 1879 

 witnessed their appearance in unusual numbers on our coast, 

 or close to it, along with many Little Gulls, and off Heligoland 

 along with Pomatorhine Skuas. 



Appendix. 



Since the paper left my hands, the following further 

 information has reached me : — 



SHETLAND. — Mr Herbert W. Richmond informs me 

 that in 1908, besides seeing Fulmars on Noss, where 

 they were very much in evidence, and Unst, he saw 

 them also on Bressay and Hascosay. In the last named 

 they flew to and fro by a stack which stands near the low 

 cliffs, 30 to 40 feet high. The island contains no cliffs but 

 these low ones, and even these are of small extent. He 

 " failed to see a nesting bird, but the seaward face was out 

 of sight." 



Orkney. — In the last (May) number of British Birds, 

 Mr W. J. Balfour Kirke states that he heard of Fulmars on 

 the west coast of Mainland, Orkney, in 1908, and found a 

 small colony to the north of Marwick Head in 1910. 

 When writing of the Orkney colonies (ante, p. 10 1) we 

 should have mentioned that "scores" of birds were seen 

 about the Black Craig, near Stromness, on 5th March 1904, 

 by Mr H. W. Robinson {ibid., January 191 2). This is no 

 proof, however, that they nested there that year. 



HEBRIDES. — From the Barra Head lighthouse-keeper, my 

 friend Dr J. MacRury has ascertained that although only three 

 eggs were got there last summer, twenty to thirty birds were 



