AUTUMN AND WINTER BIRD-LIFE OP THE FAIRLIE SHORE. 185 



Black-Headed Gull, Larus ridibundus, Linn. { Both very com- 



CoMMON Gull, Larus canus, Liun. I men birds here. 



Heering-Gull, Larus arcjentatus, Gmelin. — By far the most 

 abundant gull on this shore, very large numbers being con- 

 stantly seen. On their daily journey from the inland fields 

 to the flats, this and the preceding two species use the same 

 route with such great regularity that the part of the shore 

 over which they pass has become known as the "Gulls' Walk."' 



Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Larus fuscus, Linn.— Common till 

 October, when they depart, and are not observed till the 

 return of spring. 



Great Black-Backed Gull, Larus marinus, Linn. — One or two 

 of these fine birds are generally to be seen beating along the 

 margin of the tide in search of flotsam and jetsam. 



Kittiwake Gull, Bissa tridactyla (Linn.). — Common in Fairlie 

 Roads. 



Pomatorhine Skua, Stercorarius pomatorhinus (Temminck). — On 

 February 17th, 1904, Mr. Robert Godfrey picked up a dead 

 example of this bird at Hunterston (Annals of Scottish 

 Natural History for 1904, page 192). 



Richardson's Skua, Stercorarius crepidatus (Gmelin). — Since 

 November 1st, 1902, when I obtained one at Brigaird Point, 

 I have seen it on some half-dozen occasions, once as early as 

 August 13th, 1904. All the birds seen were in the dark 

 phase of plumage. 



Razorbill, Alca torda. Linn. ( Bothcommonspeciesintheautumn 



GuiLLEMOT,i[7?ia<roi^e(Linn.). I months in fairlie Roads. 



Addenda. 



Since this paper was read to the Society, two additional species 

 have come under my notice. 



On September 25th, 1909, I observed a Common Buzzard, 

 Buteo vulgaris, Leach, soaring over the rising ground behind 

 Poteath Bay, just outside our limit; and in the same month I 

 obtained a Puffin, Fratercula arctica (Linn.), — a bird of the 

 year— off Brigaird Spit. The Common Buzzard is a rare species 

 over the most of Ayrshire ; but the Pufliu no doubt occurs 

 frequently with the Guillemot and the Razorbill in Fairlie 

 Roads. 



