138 CATALOGUE OF BIRDS, 



October, when steaming in the North Sea many miles 

 from land, flying direct for the Norfolk and Suffolk 

 coast. They usually keep company in compact bodies 

 of several hundreds, but now and then, a few, fatigued 

 by the journey, would follow for a short distance, and 

 then settle on board, where they would creep into the 

 first quiet corner, and puffing themselves out like balls, 

 would soon be at rest. 



Larks are by far the most numerous of all the birds 

 taken on board the light ships off the eastern coast, 

 immense clouds being reported to have been often 

 noticed hovering round the lamps during a drizzling 

 rain. After these come the Starlings,* and then the 

 Stormy Petrels. The latter, however, do not strike 

 the lights, but settle on the vessels by day during pro- 

 tracted rough weather ; they are then generally so 

 thoroughly worn out, that if thrown up in the air they 

 will immediately return on board. Gulls occasionally 

 come in contact with the lamps, but it is by no means 

 common for any species, except the Skua Gull, to be 

 taken in that manner. I was informed by the mate of 

 the Newarp that he had once found as many as three 

 Skuas on deck during his watch, one of which, a large 

 brown-coloured bird,t that he mistook in the dark for 



* The first thousand wings that I received during the autumn 

 of 1872 were made up as follows : Larks, 520 ; Starlings, 348; 

 Stormy Petrel, 45 ; Brown Linnet, 15 ; Greenfinch, 21 ; 

 Brambling, 6 ; Fieldfare, 2 ; Forktailed Petrel, 1 ; Knot, 2 ; 

 Blackbird, 20 ; Redwing, 13 ; Chaffinch, 15 ; Tree Sparrow, 3 ; 

 Book, 2 ; Snipe, 1 ; Kittiwake, 1. A few of the Warblers were 

 taken the following spring, also one Swallow, but no Martins. 

 I also received the wing of one Razor Bill. 



I Probably the Great Skua. 



