12 AN EAST COAST NATURALIST 



peculiarly marine species, spending much of its time 

 far out at sea, and is only to be observed near shore 

 in stormy weather, or more usually passing high 

 overhead inland, in tumbling erratic flight. Severe 

 gales occasionally prove too much for the bird's 

 endurance, and at times many perish, to be presently 

 toppled ashore and become a prey to the Hooded 

 Crows. I found no fewer than thirty mixed up 

 with dead Razorbills along the beach on 16th 

 February 1890. In a day or two but mere 

 remnants remain, the wings attached to the clean- 

 picked sternum being found scattered here and 

 there. In very severe and protracted frosts these 

 fragments are again overhauled and every muscular 

 particle left is torn out and devoured. 



SWALLOW MIGRATIONS 



The passing away of the Swallows in autumn to 

 sunnier lands, where they delight to spend those 

 months of absence from us, is, to them, a somewhat 

 momentous matter. For days previous they have 

 been holding twittering congress in the reed-beds 

 at the Broad margins, varied with short periods of 

 reflection in long black lines upon the nearest 



