BROWN-HOODED MEW. 597 



pany with Rooks. Flocks often select an open field or plain 

 as a resting station, reposing there at night and during 

 part of the day, and flying off to feed in the surrounding 

 fields, or on the shores of the sea. When shoals of young 

 herrings or other fishes appear on the coast, they congregate 

 in vast numbers, along with Gulls of various species, and 

 continue to feed upon them so long as they remain. A very 

 remarkable scene of this kind occurred in the Firth of Forth, 

 in the winter of 1837. 



On the 27th December, accompanied by my son, I crossed 

 by the ferry-boat from Trinity to Kirkaldy. The water was 

 exceedingly smooth, for although fleecy clouds drifted rapidly 

 eastward, it was calm below, and the sun emerging from the 

 clouds gave promise of a fine day. At first no birds were to 

 be seen, excepting one or two Avandering Gulls which hovered 

 and wheeled in silence over the water ; but when we had 

 proceeded about a mile, small parties of Tarrocks, Larus 

 ridibundus, advanced screaming, and now and then dipping 

 in pursuit of their prey. Farther on, numerous little bands 

 of Guillemots and Auks, Uria Troile and Alca Torda, were 

 seen flying up the Firth, or floating on the water. These 

 birds, which are precisely similar in their manners, and difiier 

 very little in appearance, float lightly, with erect necks, dive 

 with rapidity, partially opening their wings as they plunge 

 headlong into the water, and fly in strings, at the height of 

 two or three feet from the surface, with a direct and rapid 

 motion, simultaneously inclining themselves alternately to 

 either side. Six large Cormorants, Phalacrocorax Carbo, 

 with sedately-flapping wings and long outstretched necks, 

 presented an interesting sight as they flew past in a line, 

 almost touching the smooth water. Small groups of Red- 

 throated Divers, Colymbus septentrionalis, composed of from 

 two to four or five individuals, now and then shoot past in 

 rapid flight, and scarcely at a greater height than the Guille- 

 mots, although on many occasions I have seen them fly at a 

 great elevation, especially in rough weather. A few Great 

 Northern Divers, Colymbus glacialis, also made their appear- 

 ance, flying precisely in the same manner as the Red-throated 

 species, but with somewhat less rapid motions of the wings. 



