80 REPORT ON THE MIGRATION OF BIRDS. 



they reached the water ; the male kept ahout six yards hehind 

 the young, the female leading; they were fifteen minutes in 

 reaching the water; appeared just hatched; cock hird often 

 looked behind to see nobody was coming." With reference to 

 the spring migration of Wild Geese, Major Russell sends me the 

 following notes from a correspondent on the Essex coast, whose 

 house is situated on the south slope of a steep high hill : — " The 

 Grey Geese were seen on Saturday, Feb. 21st, from 600 to 1000 

 flying in a triangular form, in a N.E. direction. I have 

 repeatedly seen them sometimes passing for whole days, and 

 have always noticed that we have never had any winter to speak 

 of afterwards. They generall}^ fly about a mile high. We very 

 seldom see them going south. I suppose because the days are 

 shorter, or possibly some may go another way ; but they 

 generally go north about this time of the year. I used to try to 

 shoot them with a rifle to see what sort of Geese they were." 



Alcid^. — At Longstone l.h., March 9th, Guillemots and 

 Razorbills assembled; 24th, Puffins. At Flamborough l.h., 

 May 3rd, hundreds of Puffins arriving throughout the day, and on 

 the same day a great number of Guillemots. From May 28th to 

 June 2nd, great numbers of Guillemots and Razorbills were seen 

 all day in the neighbourhood of the Spurn l.v., at sea six miles 

 S.S.E. Spurn Point. The Guillemots, Razorbills and Puffins 

 are later in their arrival and departure at the southern than 

 their northern breeding-stations. 



Pelecanid^. — At Longstone l.h., March 9th, numbers of 

 Gannets flying N. At the Fame Inner l.h., April 16th, from 

 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Gannets were seen flying N. At Teesmouth 

 5 Buoy L.V., March 15th, twelve Cormorants came into Tees, 

 about fifty in every year at this time, leave again after breeding- 

 season till next March. 



Larid^. — At Fame Islands, April 8th, Gulls commenced 

 assembling at their nesting-quarters. At Whitby l.h., Feb. 18th, 

 Herring Gulls first appeared on the cliffs near lighthouse. 

 July 4th, first young was seen on,the wing. Sept. 2nd, all left, 

 both young and old. At Spurn l.v.. May 28th to June 2nd, 

 large numbers of Gulls were seen all day in the neighbourhood, 

 along with Guillemots and Razorbills ; these birds were probabl}^ 

 not migrating, or even contemplating such a movement, but 

 wanderers from Flamborough, following the shoals of small fry 



