KITTIWAKE. 691 



should be destroyed, or knocked off the ledge, as sometimes 

 occurs in the climber's efforts to reach the eggs, and there 

 is not sufficient time to construct another nest, the bird may 

 lay again on the bare rock. The young, " pen-feathered," 

 have been seen as early as the 3rd of July. 



In autumn vast numbers of old and young birds, many 

 of them migrants, assemble round the Flamborough Headland, 

 and at other parts of the coast, attracted by the shoals of young 

 herrings on which they feed ; at these times one of the most 

 interesting sights for an ornithologist may be witnessed at 

 sea on a calm day in late autumn. One or two light-winged 

 forms will be observed gracefully gliding in mid-air above 

 the sea, when, its attention arrested perhaps by a shoal of 

 sprats, one suddenly swoops down and snatches a fish from 

 below the surface. Instantly there is commotion ; with 

 screams and swoops the others dash down to take their share 

 of the prey ; then more silvery wings are seen glancing in the 

 sunlight, hurrying in from all quarters of the compass, and 

 in the course of two or three minutes there is a crowd of 

 shrieking, excited birds wheeling around where, ertswhile, 

 the only sound to be heard was the lazy dip of the oars gently 

 propelling the boat onwards. Unfortunately, this habit of 

 the Kittiwake was taken advantage of by shooters, who used 

 to throw a dead bird in the air in order to attract any living 

 ones which were passing by, and as they were shot others 

 came to the scene, and so the slaughter went on. 



In 1877 Kittiwakes were very numerous off Redcar, as 

 also in 1882-3 5 1884 ; in 1892 (all along the seaboard) ; and 

 also in 1893. The migratory movements noted in connection 

 with other species of Gulls may be observed in this also, and 

 in north and north-east gales great flocks pass along shore to 

 the north-west, whilst in east or south-east winds a southward 

 passage takes place. On ist November 1888, many thousands 

 were going south ; in October 1892, there was a great flight 

 to the north-west ; while in October 1896, many were going 

 south off Flamborough, and later, with a change of wind, 

 they were observed to be moving northward. 



In mid-February 1892, I noticed a vast assemblage of 



