NOTES. 283 



We hear of great numbers on the east coast of Scotland, 

 and of some in Ireland, and further details of these will no 

 doubt appear later, while from the east coast of England 

 large numbers are reported below, and that the birds were 

 driven far inland over a wide area is evident by the reports 

 already to hand. It would seem, however, that the numbers 

 in 1895 were greater, though the birds were perhaps not 

 driven so far inland in that year. 



Scotland. — Mr. H. W. Robinson wTites : " Off the Bass 

 Rock several hundred were seen at once, many being eaten 

 by the Black-backed Gulls in attendance. Thirty-six dead 

 bodies were picked up on the small portion of beach between 

 Joppa and Leith breakwater, thirty more on Granton beach, 

 whilst one Edinburgh taxidermist received over fifty for 

 preservation." 



Yorkshire. — Mr. T. H. Nelson writes from Redcar : " On 

 January 20th (there had been a strong easterly wind blowing 

 for two or three days, and I was in the house wdth a severe 

 cold) my wife came in about noon, telling me that when on 

 Coatham Sands, she had seen about forty Little Auks, in 

 small parties, flying low down above the water just beyond 

 the breakers. One lot of these came within five j^ards of 

 where she was walking, and she noticed that they uttered 

 a short little note ; another lot of five also passed close by 

 her, and yet another party alighted on the sea near a wrecked 

 steamer. Later in the day she found a very fine specimen 

 washed up at high-water mark. After this date evidence 

 was daily supplied of the finding of numerous examples of 

 these little visitors ; one man picked up a dozen in the course 

 of a mile walk, and many other persons reported seeing 

 dead or exhausted birds on the sands, which had evidently 

 been driven ashore. The local bird-stuffers had scores 

 brought to them, and would only accept those that were yery 

 fine and clean. I had numerous inquiries as to the species 

 of these peculiar little birds. The weather continued stormy, 

 and on February 1st a blizzard of arctic severity, with a 

 north-easterly gale, swept the coast, continuing for three 

 days. Hundreds of Little Auks were seen flying before the 

 storm, and many were found on the beach between Saltburn 

 and the Tees mouth. Reports of ' rare arctic birds ' were 

 also sent from inland places remote from the coast, as for 

 example, Thirsk, Northallerton, East Lay ton near Richmond, 

 Yarm, Hutton Rudby, and along the foot of the Cleveland 

 Hills at Rounton, Swainby, Stokesley and in the Esk Valley ; 

 also at Linthorpe, Middlesbrough, Guisborough. and the 

 villages between the coast and the moorlands. Not only in 



