On Oniitliological Researches. 159 



to be sold to the Government at a fixed price, and that was 

 the reason the Russian Government did not become bankrupt. 

 The total journey he (Mr. Seebohm) performed was 15,000 

 miles, occupying from seven to eight months. In conclusion 

 Mr. Seebohm said — Siberia is not the desolate country it is 

 sometimes supposed to be, but may prove to be a second 

 Canada. In the course of centuries America may become so 

 thickly populated that people will have to find some place 

 further west to which to emigrate, and in that way possibly 

 Siberia may be peopled by English speaking races from that 

 side. 



34.— Notes on the Ornithology of the Farxe Islands. 



By Edward Bidwell. 



[Read 8th November, 1882.] 



The group of islands known as the Fames, ever memorable 

 as the scene of one of the most touching examples of female 

 heroism, lie off the northern part of the Northumberland 

 coast. 



Formed of basaltic rock and exposed to the full fury of the 

 north sea, with its strong gales, one does not expect to find 

 much vegetation on the islets (over twenty in number), which 

 are dotted about, at distances of two to five miles from the 

 mainland. Some of the smaller are nothing but bare rock, 

 but several of the larger islands are partially covered with 

 earth and these are brightened by the flowers of the sea 

 campion, the sea pink, and the rag wort, and two of them, the 

 Farn and the West Wide-open, afford a scanty pasture to some 

 half dozfen sheep and a few rabbits. The seal breeds on the 

 Crumstones, one of the outlying rocks. But the glory of the 

 islands is their bird life, about which I have been asked to speak 

 to you this evening. I have only twice been able to spare the 

 time for a trip to this interesting place, once early in June, 

 when unfortunately a gale which lasted for several days 

 prevented a boat being launched until nearly the end of the 

 limited time at my disposal, and again in the first week in 

 August, 1881, I spent two days here for the purpose of 

 procuring a few specimens of the birds. 



In the Ornithology of Francis Willoughby, published in 

 1678, we find the first reference to the Birds of the Fame 

 Islands. In 1661 Willoughby and Ray, passing through the 

 county of Northumberland on a botanical tour to Scotland, 

 stayed at Sir William Foster's house at Bamborough. 

 Although within sight of the Fames they did not visit the 



