6 DESTRUCTION OF BIRDS AT SEA 



IN October 1914 were published the first 

 reports of sea-birds, disabled by oil, 

 having been washed ashore on the coast 

 of South Norfolk and North Suffolk (Zoolo- 

 gist, 1915, p. 96). In 1915 similar occur- 

 rences were reported off Sussex and Kent in 

 January ; off Holy Island in January and 

 February ; off Romney Marsh on June gth 

 and loth ; off the Isle of May and coast of 

 Fife on June i6th. From June 2ist to 

 July ist numbers of sea birds and land birds 

 were killed by a quantity of crude oil off 

 St. Andrews, and an observer stated that the 

 oil stuck to the birds like bird-lime and that 

 he buried no less than 269 GUILLEMOTS 

 (Scottish Naturalist, 1917, p. 78). Heavy 

 mortality among sea birds, from a like cause, 

 was reported in Largo Bay, from the River 

 Tay opposite Dundee to Kirkcaldy, on 

 June 24th ; and off Kingsdown and Dunge- 



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