154 BIRDS OF THE HUMBER DISTRICT. 



was ushered in by the intensely severe weather which 

 terminated the year 1870. In the last week of 

 December in that year there were three small flocks 

 of Whoopers in the Humber, off the coast in this 

 parish, one of fourteen, one of sixteen, and another 

 of five birds ; these appeared to be all, or nearly all, 

 adults in the white plumage. 



Mr. Boynton, of Ulrome, near Bridlington, writing 

 January 18th, 1871*, says: " On Sunday the 8th in- 

 stant I saw a flock of Hoopers pass over here, forty- 

 two in number; they passed within one hundred 

 yards of where I was standing, and came direct from 

 the sea, taking a westerly course. I have also seen 

 during the last fortnight flocks numbering three, 

 twelve, eight, and eleven respectively; the last lot 

 this morning." 



Mr. F. Boyes of Beverley (Zool. 1871, p. 2486), says, 

 on the 5th of January a flock of fifteen Hoopers 

 alighted on the river Hull. Three of these were shot 

 one, an old male, measuring five feet in length, and 

 seven feet eight inches in expanse of wing, and 

 weighing twenty and a half pounds ; the other two 

 were females, and were much smaller in size : both 

 these had rust-coloured markings on the back of the 

 head, the rest of the plumage pure white. Another, 

 an adult male (likewise recorded by Mr. Boyes) , and 

 shot at Flamborough by Thomas Leng on the 6th, 

 measured only four feet nine inches in length, but 



* See Zoologist for 1871, page 2487. 



