68 BRITISH BIRDS. [vol. viii. 



they were in groups of from six to twenty, or more, and 

 others had been driven against tlie jetty, where they were 

 partly buried in the sand. A bogey load had been taken 

 away by workmen, and many wounded birds had sought 

 refuge amongst blocks of slag, or had wandeied to the river 

 channel, where they were either caught by boys or carried 

 off on the tide. Two or three adult Curle\^'S and a Duck 

 were picked up on the sands, and an adult Cannet was 

 captured amongst the bents on the breakwater. I feel sure 

 that if other three hundred be added to the numbers 

 mentioned, this Mould form a verj^ low estimate of the total 

 casualties. 



With the exception of a few Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 

 the birds examined by my friends and myself Mere Common 

 Gulls [Larus canus) and Black-headed Gulls [L. ridihundus), 

 in the proportion of about three of the former to one of the 

 latter. Most of the Common Gulls had a few immature 

 feathers on the back and wings ; nearly all L. ridihundus 

 Avere in adult plumage. Almost all those I saw had broken 

 wings or wounds on the head, and there can be no doubt that 

 these injuries were caused by the large pieces of jagged ice 

 driven by a furious gale. Several Black-headed Gulls were 

 in a dazed condition, and weak on their legs, whilst the feet 

 and legs of some dead birds were contracted and drawn up 

 close to the body. A score or more of Gulls Mere skinned, 

 and in every case there was evidence of serious injury from 

 bloM'S on the back, head, or Mings. An adult Curlew had 

 its skull fractured in U\o places, a broken Ming, the neck 

 damaged, and the tail completely shorn off. 



An old wildfoMler, whom I have knoM'n for many years, 

 and on M-hose veracity 1 can rely, M'itnessed the whole 

 occurrence. He tells me that M'hen the storm was approach- 

 ing, he saM- a large assemblage of Gulls, regular frequenters 

 of the Tees " slems," showing signs of uneasiness and 

 screaming loudly in alarm, then rise in a body and make for 

 the marsh ; but before they got halfMay across the sands 

 the cyclone struck them, and they Mere lost to view. When 

 the storm had passed the sands were strcMU with dead Gulls, 

 and dozens of Mounded Mere helplessly strugghng about. 

 As my informant M^alked amongst them they shoMcd no 

 fear, evidently suffering from shock and buffeting by the 

 wind and ice. 



If I had not had ocular proof of the peculiar and 

 tremendous force of the storm, I Mould hesitate to mention 

 an almost incredible statement made by a resident at the 



