Birds. QQQg 



a flock is approached they will take wing, leaving the adults. The 

 large flocks are breaking up, the birds appearing in small flocks or 

 paired. One adult shot was still moulting iu the head and neck, the 

 chin and part of throat being still in winter feather. I may here 

 state that all our sea-fowl either partially or wholly moult in spring 

 I quite agree that many birds change colour without moulting, par^ 

 ticularly young birds in autumn and winter, but I do not think this is 

 so much the case in spring. 



Kittiwakes very plentiful ; far more adults than young birds Adults 

 in full summer dress. Young common gull numerous ; no adults I 

 saw but one blackheaded gull. Numerous herring gulls ; younc. most 

 abundant. Lesser blacl^backs, young and adults in great numbers 

 Ihis is considered a rare gull on our eastern coast, and why I do not 

 know, except that young individuals are considered herring gulls. I 

 meet with it plentifully every spring, summer and autumn. It b scarce 

 in winter. 



No end of gannets prowling along close to the water, and oc- 

 casionally towering into the air to make a dash beneath at some 

 luckless fish. They always tower some twenty yards before divin- as 

 if to give more velocity to their fearful plunge. Mostly adults 

 Plenty of cormorants and shags. Did not see one puffin, though 

 they breed on the islands. 



Thousands of manx shearwaters; they have been passing me inces- 

 santly all day in flocks, paired or solitary. I have described the 

 flight of this bird as like that of the martin, but to that of the swift 

 It bears a striking resemblance. It will fly for some distance with the 

 quick strong beat of wing, exactly that of the swift, and will then 

 glide or " sheer" over the water, again to resume the quick buoyant 

 beat, or perhaps to splash along the water, or to disappear beneath 

 the surface, still flying; at all events it appears to do so, for the wings 

 are never closed. The habit of striking the water is thought by many 

 to be mere sportiveness, but it is to pick up some floating substance 

 or small fry, as I have many times seen them do within a few yards 

 of me. They show no signs of fear for man, and will sometimes take 

 up scraps from the boat's side. To see a flock of these birds flying 

 about a boat is a most interesting sight, as they pass each other back- 

 ward and forward, turning up the breast at one time, showing only the 

 back at another— one dashing along or into the water— another 

 dangling the legs and picking up a scrap of fish in its bill— another 

 swimming hke a huge black and white butterfly ; here a pack are 

 fishing OD the water, diving or splashing, or listlessly swimmi.ig round 



v^oL. xxm. 2 R 



