976 Birds. 



The Puffin still breeds in the Freshwater cliffs ; but its numbers 

 are fast decreasing, owing chiefly, I believe, to the practice of wan- 

 tonly shooting them. 



The Razor-bill also breeds in the Freshwater cliffs ; and its habits 

 seem to correspond with those of the guillemot. In February, 1840, 

 after a succession of gales, I picked up on the shore several of these 

 birds, as well as of guillemots and kittiwakes, starved to death, appa- 

 rently. 



The common Cormorant breeds on the Needle rocks, and frequents 

 our coast throughout the year. 



The Shag also breeds on the Needles ; and is nearly as common as 

 its congener. 



The Gannet appears occasionally during winter ; but, although I 

 have seen from ten to twenty each season, I never observed any but 

 adult birds. February 12, 1840, I saw a gannet which had been pick- 

 ed up dead on the cliffs : this was immediately after a very severe gale 

 of wind. 



Three or four species of Tern have been obtained by Mr. Butler. 

 A pair of what, from Mr. Butler's description, I infer to have been 

 the Common Tern, once bred on the Freshwater Downs. 



The Black Tern was obtained by Mr. Butler in the summer of 1843. 



The Arctic Tern I have seen a specimen of, shot out of a party of 

 six or seven in Sandown Bay, in the autumn of 1843. 



The Masked Gull. A specimen of this rare bird came into my pos- 

 session most unexpectedly, during the month of March of this year 

 (1845). I was informed that several gulls with black heads had been 

 shot at Shanklin, and were still in the possession of a person living 

 on the beach. Thither I directed my somewhat hasty steps, in the 

 pleasing expectation of obtaining what I had never seen on this coast, 

 namely, a specimen of Larus ridibundus in its summer plumage. In 

 reply to my interrogation, the man was very sorry, — was afraid they 

 had all been thrown away, — looked amongst certain lumber, — and 

 produced, in shabby condition enough, what, he said, was not half 

 such a bird as some of them, but which my eager eye at once detect- 

 ed, from its diminutive size, and the form of the dark markings of the 

 head, to be no ridibundus. I pocketed and brought home my sus- 

 pected prize ; and a careful examination and comparison with speci- 

 mens of ridibundus, left on the mind of my friend Mr. Dawson and on 

 my own, not a shadow of a doubt that the bird before us was a verita- 

 ble specimen of the masked gull, [Larus capistratus). The plumage 

 of the head is in course of change, and presents a very interesting 



