36 REPORT ON THE MIGRATION OF BIRDS. 



May, 1881, small parties of Black Terns were passing north, a 

 few returning southward by the same route in August. The 

 Lesser Terns returned to their nesting quarters at Spurn in the 

 third week in May. At Coquet Island l.h., on the night of Aug. 

 22nd, fog. Terns with Curlews were all night beating about the 

 lantern. In 1882, March 29th, Spurn, two Terns [sp. ?] seen 

 passing north. 



Gulls, Larin/^. — The Herring Gulls returned to their breeding 

 stations at Whitby on Feb. 14tli ; they left the cliffs with their 

 young on Aug. 26th. Lesser Black-backed Gulls were observed 

 congregating at their nesting quarters, on the Fame Islands, on 

 April 13th. At Flamborough, on July 4th, great numbers of 

 Kittiwakes were passing to the south all day. Unusual numbers 

 of Herring Gulls and Little Gulls (L. minutus, Pall.) were seen 

 off Flamborough in September. At Spurn, on Oct. 26th, two 

 Little Gulls were seen ; and about the 22nd two immature 

 Sabine's Gull, Xema Sahinii, procured on the Norfolk coast, 

 some Little Gulls being seen at the same time. At Teesmouth 

 (Redcar), on Sept. 22nd, continuous flocks of Herring and Lesser 

 Black-backed Gulls, young birds, passed from daylight to dusk, 

 all going N.W., strong E. gale, rain. On Oct. 23rd, and for 

 several days previous. Great Black-backed Gulls had been 

 passing to N.W., forty to one hundred in the course of a day, 

 E.S.E. winds, all mature birds. It is many years since so large 

 a number of Great Black-backs had been seen passing. At the 

 Cockle L.V., on Nov. 11th, continuous flocks of Gulls were passing 

 westward all day; and on Dec. 29th, at Lynn Wells l.v., flocks 

 all day from E. to W. 



Skuas, Stercorariin^e. — On July 12th, a flock of one hundred 

 (probably S. crepidatus) passed at 8.30 p.m. to N.W., high over 

 Redcar, wind W. On Sept. 16th a gyeat many Skuas were seen 

 on the fishing grounds, five to six miles out, Richardson's, 

 Pomatorhine, and Buffon's busily engaged chasing the Gulls and 

 Terns; and again on Sept. 29th, a great many Richardson's, 

 Pomatorhine, and a few Buffon's Skuas seen from four to twelve 

 miles at sea by fishermen similarly employed. On Oct. 14th, 

 during the gale from N.N.W., great numbers of Pomatorhine 

 came down from north, passing Redcar and going off inland, 

 mostly flying high. The same day a large mixed flock of 

 Pomatorhine and Buffon's Skua was seen near the Breakwater, 



