Sufferings of Birds 



ness in November, when a KING-EIDER and 

 hundreds of SCOTERS and GUILLEMOTS 

 perished ; in some cases the oil is said to 

 have penetrated the skin to the flesh be- 

 neath. Doubtless the birds came inland on 

 account of the irritating effect of the oil, and, 

 as it floated in a thin layer on the surface of 

 the sea, it was only when wading ashore in 

 the more shallow water that their feet became 

 affected (British Birds Magazine, vol. ix. 

 pp. 252-3). On January gth and loth, 1916, 

 sea-birds were found, killed by oil, off Dunge- 

 ness (British Birds Magazine, vol. iv. pp. 

 152-3), and in January off Blackpool and 

 Lytham (torn. cit. p. 256). Investigations 

 proved that some of these dates synchronised 

 with the sinking of British oil-ships in the 

 North Sea, and it is to be hoped that the 

 others indicated the sinking of German sub- 

 marines or other oil-using enemy craft. In 

 one case the sea birds were described as 

 sitting on the rocks in a very dirty condition, 

 stained dark brown and practically helpless, 

 quantities being washed ashore caked with 

 oil . The beach was covered with little patches 



