1894-95-] The Little Auk. 147 



of one of these periodical visitations of the little auk in 

 October 1841 on the coast of England from York to Kent, 

 after a violent storm from the N.KE. M'Gillivray mentions 

 on hearsay evidence that the little auk has bred at St Abbs 

 Head, and states having seen two himself on the Bass Bock 

 during the breeding season. Gray, in his ' Birds of the "West 

 of Scotland,' notes having seen two of these birds on the same 

 rock in the month of June, and gives other records of their 

 being seen on the Scottish coast during the summer-time. The 

 island of Grimsey, on the north coast of Iceland, however, is 

 the most southerly point where the eggs of the little auk have 

 been taken. 



Enough can be gathered from these occurrences of this bird 

 on our coast to show that its arrival is merely a question of 

 weather, as they have invariably occurred after a storm or 

 succession of storms from the N.E. It is to be remarked that 

 they appear only in large numbers on our East Coast. On 

 the West Coast, though a comparatively rare bird, it does not 

 seem to be so very uncommon as is generally supposed. Mr 

 Cecil H. Bishopp of Oban informs me that each winter for the 

 past seven years he has received three or four little auks 

 for preservation. This year, however, he says, beats the record, 

 as he has had up to the present time twenty-six of these 

 birds sent him. These were all from different parts of the 

 West Coast, a number being from the lochs in the island of 

 Mull and from the shores round about Oban. Last year he 

 says a specimen was found dead at an altitude of 1000 feet 

 and twenty-four miles from the sea. While averse to indulg- 

 ing in speculative theory, it seems to me quite possible that 

 some of these birds recorded on the West Coast may have 

 been blown right across the mainland of Scotland. 



It is still an unsolved question where these birds are when 

 they are overtaken by a storm or succession of storms, as in 

 the present instance. Undoubtedly it is in some part of the 

 North Sea, but it is somewhat surprising that we have no 

 records of their having been seen there by mariners. This is 

 the more remarkable when we consider the vast numbers of 

 the birds which must annually leave their northern breeding- 

 grounds on the approach of winter. Admiral Beechey records 

 seeing a flight he estimated at nearly four millions in Magda- 



VOL. III. L 



