260 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



BIRD NOTES IN SARK, 1903. 

 By E. F. M. Elms. 



The following notes were taken between May 23rd and June 

 1st, during which time much enjoyment fell to my lot on this 

 interesting and beautiful island. 



Sark, seven miles E.S.E. of Guernsey, is not more than three 

 and a half miles long, including Little Sark, joined only to Sark 

 proper by the well-known Coupee, an isthmus or causeway of 

 natural formation. The island at its broadest part is roughly 

 one and a half miles wide, and has a very indented coast-line with 

 precipitous cliffs, in some places about 250 ft. above low water- 

 mark. 



Some of the country is under cultivation, but the greater part 

 is covered with gorse bushes, and divided up by numerous valleys, 

 down which the little mountain streams hurry. The vegetation 

 is rank and luxuriant, and, being so, it is a somewhat remarkable 

 fact that certain birds were not noted that might have reasonably 

 been expected to be abundant, and those few of certain species 

 that were observed did not appear to be nesting freely. 



I should not have been at all surprised to have seen the 

 Wheatear, as at the northern part of Sark the country is quite 

 suitable to its requirements, but not a single specimen was seen. 

 Other notable absentees were the Redstart, Nightingale, Black- 

 cap, all the members of the Wagtail family, Tree-Pipit, Spotted 

 Flycatcher, Jackdaw, the Columbse, and Gallinaceous birds. I 

 fear it is an impossible task for me to try to assign any reason 

 for the absence of most of them. Perhaps the close proximity 

 of the sea may possibly account for some, and of course others 

 may have escaped my observation. 



But it is with the sea-birds that one finds more interest in 

 Sark, and to visit them in their breeding haunts it is necessary 

 to take a boat, and positively suicidal to attempt a visit without 

 the help of a local fisherman. In fact, they would not, under 



