Later, in the second schedule, Mr R. A. writes: "There has been nothing
to record since the 25th of November." [Last date of schedule.--J. A.
H.-B.] "The Snow Buntings have remained with us all winter. All summer
we had large flocks of Solan Geese, till the first of October; after
that there were a few till the 1st of November; but since then (till
February 7, 1887) _I have not seen one_." [These Solan Geese notes are
always interesting. Perhaps Mr Agnew will devote a separate schedule
to the day-to-day movements of Solan Geese another season.--J. A.
H.-B.] He continues: "On the 24th October I observed very large flocks
of sea-birds, fishing close to the lighthouse. There were all sorts of
them; I could not say how many, but there must have been many hundreds.
We saw them from 9 A.M. till 11 A.M. After that there was not one
to be seen (where did they come from and where did they go?)." [We
believe they simply followed a vast body of fish--young or adult--or
_entomostracæ_, which "showed" on the surface, indicating one of the
strange, or little understood, migrations of fish, or _entomostracæ_.
One or two of the birds shot, and contents of their stomachs examined,
might have explained a great deal. Possibly Mr Agnew may still be able
to supply a note as to the nature of their food at the time.--J. A.
H.-B.]
_Monach Isles._--D. Georgeson sends two closely written schedules, but,
as before stated, straight across the columns. We will give them here
_in extenso_ as the simplest way of writing them in.
Under date of December 1st, 1886, Mr Georgeson writes to us thus: "I
send you my two last schedules, filled up to date of end of October. I
received intimation of my removal from this station to Sound of Mull,
Tobermory. I expect the 'Signal' daily to take me to my new home. I do
not know what sort of a place it is as regards birds, but if you send
me schedules I hope to be able to give you a report, however short."
[_Note._--In January 1887 Mr Harvie-Brown had an opportunity of
interviewing Mr Georgeson, and having a pleasant chat, at Sound of
Mull Lighthouse. No schedules have come from it, but the site is not
good, and is much hidden by high land to the westward. It gave us much
pleasure, however, to make Mr G.'s acquaintance, and thank him for his
hearty co-operation hitherto at Monach Isles.
We have pleasure here in fully quoting Mr Georgeson's last schedules
from Isles of Monach, where he is succeeded by Mr Joseph Agnew, late
of the Isle of May, who we are sure will find Mr Georgeson's notes of
interest and value.--J. A. H.-B.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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