THE NATURALIST =. .*:. 
For 1892. 
OCCURRENCE OF 
THE SNOW GOOSE IN NORTHUMBERLAND 
DURING THE WINTER OF 1890-1891. 
GEORGE BOLAM, 
Berwick-on-Tweed. 
WILD-FOWL generally were very abundant all over the country during 
the hard weather of last winter, and upon the coast of Northumber- 
land many of the species were present in greater numbers than since 
the memorable year of 1879-80. Scaups appeared in large flocks, 
and many flights of Wild Swans were seen, while a Smew in adult 
plumage (a bird almost as symbolical of severe weather as the 
Storm Petrel) was shot near the mouth of the Tweed ; and notices of 
its occurrence on the Solway and from many other parts of the 
kingdom appeared in the newspapers. Amongst other rarities 
reported to have been met with was the Snow Goose (Chen 
hyperboreus Pallas), a Nearctic species which has only once or twice 
previously been noticed in the British Islands ; and the object of the ~ 
present paper is to put upon record what there can be no doubt was 
a veritable occurrence of this bird upon the Northumberland coast. 
On Friday, 2nd January, 1891, my brother, Mr. W. J. Bolam, and 
a friend were upon the sands to the north of Holy Island, when they 
came upon a flock of some twenty large white birds, which at first 
sight they thought must be swans. The birds were sitting upon one 
of the sand ridges, and in close proximity to them sat several large 
Gulls (Herring and Great Black-backed) and a single Cormorant. 
After allowing my brother to approach to within about 4oo yards of 
them, the whole flock rose together, and the supposed swans, forming 
' themselves into one long line, flew right round about him, passing 
him at a distance of perhaps a couple of hundred yards. The day 
was quite clear, and he had then no difficulty in seeing that the 
whole plumage of the birds was snowy white, with the exception of the 
Jan. 1892. A 
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