EAST COAST OF SCOTLAND. 87 



Gulls arrived. Flocks of Gulls all September at most stations, but 

 no unusual numbers noted. " Gulls and Cormorants (J. A. H. B.) 

 were wheeling high in air ; not a good sign of the coming 

 weather."* Iceland Gulls (called also " Snow Birds," in common 

 with Snow Buntings) first appeared at N. Unst on 1st October, 

 again seen on the 4th. " Gulls," of sorts, abundant at Isle of May 

 by Nov. 17th ; and garvies, or " sprats " (Clupea sprattus), in vast 

 shoals round the island (see General Remarks). At North Ronald- 

 shay numbers of Gulls seen, and a good many Black-backed Gulls 

 remaining and feeding on the people's turnips ! (or slugs or 

 worms, J. A. H. B., 21st December). Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 

 Herring Gulls, Great Black-backed Gulls, Kittiwakes, Black- 

 headed Gulls, two common Skuas (J. A. H. B.), L. catarractes, 

 a few Glaucous Gulls, one Little Gull recorded by J. A. H. B. at 

 Kincardine, on the Firth of Forth. All the above species were 

 frequenting the Firth of Forth, the Kittiwakes and commoner Gulls 

 in hundreds and thousands. Sprats sold at 14s., 12s. to 8s. per ton 

 at S. pier, at Kincardine ; fields covered, mud covered, sea covered, 

 air filled with Gulls. No such vast assemblage of Laridse in Scot- 

 land since the invasion of Arctic Gulls in 1872-73 (see Proc. Glasg. 

 Nat. Hist. Soc, Jan. 7th and 28th, 1873). The estuary of the Tay 

 was quite deserted by garvies, or sprats, this season, and few 

 Gulls seen there.! 



PROCELLARiiDiE. — August, September, October, and November 

 each contain a few records at N. Unst, Sumburgh Head, 

 Pentland Skerries, and Isle of May. Earliest, 11th August, at 

 N. Unst, one struck, not killed, fresh S.E., fog; and several 

 struck on 19th. On 14th September several rested all night, 

 from 11 p.m. to daylight, at N. Unst, fresh S.E.; and one next 

 day struck, light S., fog ; and one caught at Sumburg Head 

 same night. On 18th October one found, struck, but not killed ; 

 light, variable, rain. In November one struck at N. Unst ; on 

 the 16th November, " a young bird, having still the down." I 

 have recorded also a Forked-tailed Petrel (Thalassidroma leachii), 



* In autumn there are a few Shags, or Green Cormorants, at Isle of 

 May; but a colony, or roosting and fishing community of about fifty to 

 sixty Cormorants, occupy the rock-ledges. 



| Inside the dock at Bo'ness a man filled his boat, which held seven tons, 

 twice in rapid succession. About 350 tons were brought into Bo'ness and 

 trucked off. A much larger quantity I suspect was obtained at Kincardine. 



