84 



On the Bird Life of the Firth of Forth during the Storms 

 of October and November, 1881. By Egbert Gray, 

 Y.P.KS.E., F.S.A., Scot. 



[Eead at the Meeting of the Club at Haddington, 31st May, 1882.] 

 Kt a meeting of this Club held in Dunbar about a year ago, I 

 read a communication on the effects of the preceding winter 

 [1880-81] upon birds and other animals — the protracted frosts 

 and snowfalls having been unprecedently severe. Some of you 

 may remember that I then expressed a hope, that many years 

 might pass before another occasion would arise for any of us to 

 chronicle so much suffering among our feathered friends. The 

 records of that memorable winter showed an amount of distress 

 among birds that had almost no parallel ; but it was to a great 

 extent confined to what are called soft-billed birds, and our sym- 

 pathies therefore lay almost whoUy with 



" The various vocal quires 

 That harmonize fair Scotia's streamy vales." 

 The observations which I have now to make mostly refer to the 

 sea birds of the Firth of Forth during the disastrous storms of 

 October and November, 1881. For some time previously there 

 had been nothing of unusual interest to take note of, unless we 

 except a rush of migrants' to our shores, which took place on 

 22nd September, and will no doubt be fitly recorded in due time 

 and in the proper place by my friend Mr Harvie Brown, whose 

 attention has for some years past been closely occupied by tabu- 

 lating certain returns from the lighthouses and similar posts of 

 observation along the coast line of Scotland. I may only men- 

 tion, in passing, that among other interesting birds taken in the 

 lantern of the lighthouse on the Island of May, at the time re- 

 ferred to, there was a specimen of Cy anemia Wolfi — a form of 

 blue throated warblers, which has only occurred twice before in 

 the British Islands. On the 24th of the same month the fulmar 

 petrel appeared at North Berwick, and one specimen at least was 

 obtained; while ten days later an unusual number of spotted 

 crakes ( Crex porzana) made their appearance in various parts of 

 Scotland, but notably the eastern counties. There were besides 

 the usual flights of tawny and short-eared owls, rough-legged 

 buzzards, snowflakes, siskins, bramblings, and grey shrikes, 

 among land birds, and grebes, divers, and goosanders among 

 those that had come by sea. Up to Friday, the 14th October, 

 the weather had been such as is usually experienced at the close 



