LEACH'S FORK-TAILED PETREL. 75i 



It is an autumn or winter visitant, in very limited numbers, 

 and not at all regular in its appearance. Thomas Allis, 

 in " Loudon's Magazine " for 1832, recorded that, in the winter 

 of 1831-32, several examples occurred far inland, driven in 

 by stormy weather, and in his Report on the Birds of York- 

 shire, quoted above, he mentioned others near York, though 

 at most of the Yorkshire coast stations it was considered a 

 very rare species until the year 1881, when some were taken 

 in October and November ; while in Cleveland I had known of 

 but one instance before 1891 ; in that year it was reported 

 as being unusually plentiful on several parts of the west coast, 

 and doubtless, the Cleveland specimen, which was brought 

 into the kitchen at Easby Hall by a cat, had been blown across 

 from the Irish Sea. During the prevalence of a hurricane 

 from north-north-east, on i8th October 1893, several indi- 

 viduals were storm-driven, and cast on the beach, where they 

 became " sand-warped," and, in some instances, were blown 

 up to the foot of the sand-hills ; at Redcar six were picked up 

 under these conditions. Other occurrences at Redcar were 

 in 1900, when one was immolated against the telegraph 

 wires ; on 12th November 1901, one was shot during a gale 

 from east-north-east, and came into my possession ; another, 

 also in my collection, was, as stated above, captured in 1903, 

 and, in the first week of October 1905, a specimen was picked 

 up below the telegraph wires between Redcar and Marske. 

 A female example, in the Hull Museum, was found at Flam- 

 borough in December 1883. 



Inland it has occurred at several places, in addition to 

 those mentioned in Allis's Report and in the text, and for 

 convenience of reference a list is here appended : — 



One or two near Hull. . 



One near Thirsk. 



Near Beverley, one taken alive, autumn 1854 {ZooL 1865, 



pp. 9493-4)- 



One at Kirkhammerton, before 1857 (Morris, " British 

 Birds," vi. p. 248). 



Leeds, one, purchased in the market about 1863 (" York- 

 shire Post," 6th February 1875). 



