observed in Ushant. 251 



serious unpleasantness, we quitted the island on the 17th of 

 September and returned to Brest. Thus was our Ushant 

 expedition wrecked. 



It may be well to state here that our Foreign Otfice had 

 informed the French Government of our intended visit to 

 Ushant, and its object, long before our advent on the island. 

 Thus the treatment meted out to us is inexplicable *. 



During our short sojourn on the island we observed a 

 number of birds. On these I shall now proceed to make a 

 few remarks, reserving for the concluding annotated list the 

 detailed particulars. 



The following were doubtless resident species on 

 Ushant: — Raven, Sparrow, Linnet, Corn-Bunting, Yellow 

 Banting, Sky-Lark, Meadow-Pipit, Rock-Pipit, Stonechat, 

 Redbreast, Hedge-Accentor, Wren, Peregrine Falcon, 

 Ringed Plover, and, perhaps, the Oyster-catcher. 



The summer visitors appeared to be only two in number — 

 the Whitethroat and the Swallow. 



The birds of passage observed between the 9th and 17th 

 of September — a period of phenomenally fine weather, be it 

 remarked— were the Redwing, Wheatear, Whinchat, White 

 Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Yellow Wagtail, Hen- Harrier, 

 Sparrow-Hawk, Kestrel, Osprey, Heron, Turtle-Dove, 

 Dotterel, Lapwing, Turnstone, Sanderling, Common Sand- 

 piper, Redsliank,Whimbrel, Curlew, Arctic, Common, Lesser, 

 and Sandwich Terns, and Manx and Great Shearwaters. 

 The absence of suitable shores on which to feed and rest 

 accounts, no doubt, for the absence of several of the species 



* Perhaps the following extract from ' La Patrie ' may throw some 

 light upon the occurrence. Writing in October last, this paper states, 

 on the authority of its Brest correspondent, that " the English are in the 

 habit of visiting Ushant with a view to secure pilots well ar-quaintcd 

 with these dangerous seas, and to bribe the islanders with British gold. 

 Only last year, under the pretence of rewarding the islanders for their 

 conduct in connection with the wreck of the 'Drummond Castle,' they 

 scattered a perfect golden shower over the islands. In short, our neigh- 

 bours, in the time of peace, pave the way for the purchase of traitors in 

 the time of war " {vide ' Standard,' Oct. 28, 1898). This, we were credibly 

 informed at Brest, was the true explanation of the situation. 



