NOTES FROM REDCAR. 137 



to the N.W., far out of shot, and making a continuous screaming 

 call. I shot an adult Sandwich Tern at sea on the 22nd : this is 

 a late date on which to meet with this bird, but on Nov. 6th I was 

 very much surprised to see another example of this species about 

 two miles off Redcar. On the 25th the first Hooded Crow passed 

 to the west. At sea, on the 28th, I noticed several Great 

 Northern Divers and two Glaucous Gulls. 



On October 1st (N. wind, moderate, dull to rain), a great rush 

 of Ducks, principally Wigeon ; fifty or sixty large flocks passed ; 

 seven which were shot were all young birds. During the first 

 week in October many Skuas, principally Pomatorhine, were 

 observed in small flocks three or four miles at sea ; the majority 

 were adult white-breasted birds. 



In the second week of October immature Pomatorhine Skuas 

 passed daily; I did not shoot any myself, but several specimens 

 I examined were of the ordinary type. I killed a fine example of 

 the adult dark variety of Richardson's Skua. On the 4th, Gold- 

 crests, Regulas cristatus, appeared on the sand-hills. On the 9th 

 (very stormy, N.E. gale), the first Woodcock and Short-eared 

 Owl, Asio acc'qritrinus, came over. On the 10th (still stormy), 

 three Velvet Scoters, CB.fusca, flew past; one was shot, and 

 proved to be a young male. Two Fulmar Petrels, Fulmarus 

 glacialis, one a fine adult male, were picked up alive on the beach, 

 having been driven ashore by the gale. The storm continued till 

 the 10th, and, after it abated, two friends and myself had capital 

 sport with the ''Black Ducks." We found an immense flock of 

 these birds on the sea to the east of Redcar, and in seven days— 

 between the 1 8th October and the 19th November — gathered 

 ninety three Common and two Velvet Scoters, though a great 

 many wounded birds were lost, owing to their diving capabilities 

 and toughness of skin. The biggest bag in one day was on the 

 5th November, when Mr. Emerson and I gathered one Velvet 

 and twenty-three Common Scoters. 



Long-tailed Ducks, Harelda glacialis, were also very plentiful 

 throughout the season; between the 13th October and the end of 

 February at least forty examples have been killed to my own 

 knowledge ; even at the present time of writing, a flock of thirty 

 may be seen inside the Redcar rocks. I shot two myself, one on 

 the 31st October and the other on the 17th November; both 



ZOOLOGIST.— APRIL, 1888. M 



