418 IMajor W. R. Thompson on the [Ibis, 



inhabitants for use as firewood, and it is hoped that legislation 

 will step in to preserve those remaining. 



Included with Alderney is the small islet of Burhon^ 

 about 1^ miles distant and separated from it by the passage 

 known as the Swinge, through which, at spring tides, the 

 current sets with great violence. There are also several out- 

 lying rocks of which the most notable are the Casquets, the 

 Ortac, the Garden Rocks, and Coque Lithou. Both Burhou 

 and tl^<^ above mentioned outlying rocks are exceedingly 

 dilhcult to approach owing to the strong and uncertain 

 currents, and can only be visited in calm weather. 



Owing to the propinquity of the French coast many birds 

 pass to and fro at will in both winter and summer, either as 

 the spirit moves them or as the weather conditions dictate, 

 so that a species which is very numerous one day may be 

 absent or almost entirely absent on another, and for this 

 reason it is sometimes very difficult to discriminate accurately 

 between a resident and a bird of passage. 



Very little appears to have been written on the ornithology 

 of Alderney. ' The Channel Islands,' by Ansted and Latham, 

 published in 18G2, contains a list of birds purporting to be 

 found in Alderney, but, admirable as this work undoubtedly 

 is in other respects, it can scarcely be looked upon as an 

 authority on ornithology, if only by reason of the Editor's 

 remarks in his preface, where he states : " The Editor not 

 being conversant with the details of Botany and Zoology, 

 has sought and obtained the assistance of many friends and 

 acquaintances." 



The next book in point of time would appear to be 'The 

 Birds of Guernsey and the neighbouring Islands of Alderney, 

 Sark, Herm, Jethou,' by Cecil Smith, published in 1879. 

 This book appears to be reliable and is very interesting 

 reading. Although now very out of date in many respects, 

 it still remains the text-book on the subject. 



In the autumn of 1898 the island was visited by Dr. W. 

 Eagle Clarke, and his observations on the birds appeared in 

 'The Ibis' for April 1899. He remained but a week, and 



