The Guardian/1912/02/05/Country Diary

5.

The severe weather has brought a number of little auks, northern birds of irregular appearance, to our coasts. Professor Newstead tells me that one which ascended the Dee on the tide was ruthlessly stoned to death by boys at Chester. A note from a Whitby correspondent is published in this morning's issue stating that many of this species have been found dead on the shore, but unfortunately the value of his communication is discounted by his remark about the "great black-headed gull" and the "ringed guillemot." To the best of my knowledge only single example of the first has ever reached Britain, and either the headed or great black-backed gull is meant, whilst the ringed guillemot has been shown to be merely variety of the common species.

T.A.C.