i So ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



taxidermist in Dumfries, called upon me with a specimen in the 

 flesh of the Whiskered Tern (Hydrockelidon hybrida, Pallas) which 

 had just been sent to him for preservation. It had been shot on the 

 previous day by Mr. John Kirkpatrick, gamekeeper, near the Carse 

 Loch of Friars Carse, a place in Nithsdale, some six miles above 

 Dumfries. Mr. M'Kay was kind enough to leave the bird in my 

 hands till I had time to make a detailed examination of it, and to 

 note down the following description : The cap and nape glossy 

 black, with greenish purple reflections in some lights ; from the 

 lower edge of the nape, the whole upper surface of an almost 

 uniform light slaty gray, very slightly paler on outer webs of 

 primaries, which present the frosted pearl-gray appearance described 

 by Mr. Howard Saunders ("Manual," p. 621) ; shafts of primaries and 

 secondaries on upper and under sides pure white, except for a little 

 before the tips. Fibres on outer edge of first primary are dark, like the 

 breast. A wedge-shaped stripe of white extends up the inner web 

 of the primaries to within about two inches from the tips. Upper 

 aspect of tips of primaries is of a rather darker shade, while the upper 

 surface of tail is of paler shade, than back. Scapulars and 

 secondaries very slightly tipped with white, which is, however, 

 almost worn off. Cap has a very few small white feathers inter- 

 spersed amongst the black ones in front of eyes and above the lores. 

 Lores and under eyelids white, the white extending round to the 

 black colour of nape, and shading quickly lower down into the 

 plumbfcous colour of upper neck. From the white patch on 

 throat, the neck, breast, and abdomen as far as the vent are of a 

 dark sooty plumbeous, like the colour on the under side of the Arctic 

 Tern, but very much more intensified. This colour ends abruptly 

 at the vent, which, with the under side of tail and under coverts, is pure 

 white. There are a few white feathers in the breast, that have slight 

 white tips or frilling. Under wing coverts pure white, axillaries 

 pure white. Thighs are very pale slate gray, shading to pure white 

 next the bare parts. Bill a deep blood red, hardly appreciably 

 darker than the blood that was still oozing from the poor bird. 

 Sides very dark blue, legs and toes vermilion, claws dark brown. 

 Length, \\\ inches; wing, 9^ inches; bill, \\ inches; cleft of tail only 

 half an inch deep. Subsequently Mr. M'Kay sent me the body, 

 which, when dissected, proved the bird to be a male. Its stomach 

 contained the remains of (apparently) one small white slug and a few 

 " scurrs " or fresh-water shrimps ( Gammarus fluviatilis), with the 

 addition of some vegetable fibres. Its short cleft tail, deeply 

 scalloped webs, and long slender toes are most conspicuous, and 

 these differentiate it at once in the eyes of any one accustomed only 

 to the common British species of Terns. The Whiskered Tern is 

 an addition not only to Solway, but to the Scottish list. Mr. H. 

 Saunders records six occurrences, five English and one Irish, and 



