A LIST OF THE BIRDS OF BERWICK-ON-TWEED 85 



sometimes attempts to do so on some parts of the adjacent main- 

 land. It appears regularly off the mouth of the Tweed, from spring 

 to autumn, and I have on many occasions seen it along the coast 

 of Berwickshire. It is not included by Mr. Muirhead. 



ROSEATE TERN, Sterna dougalli, Montagu. A spring to autumn 

 visitant, a few pairs nesting annually at the Fame Islands, where, on 

 1 4th September 1885, I watched a flock of quite twenty or thirty, 

 old and young birds together, fishing off the Megstone Island. 



I have frequently identified it off the coast in autumn, and on 

 5th August 1881, shot one a few miles to the south of Berwick. If 

 closely looked for, it would, no doubt, sometimes be found amongst 

 the flocks of Terns of the three common species, which visit the 

 mouth of the Tweed. 



ARCTIC TERN, Sterna macrura, Naumann. A summer migrant, 

 nesting plentifully at the Fame Islands, and rarely upon the main- 

 land. It occurs commonly off the mouth of the Tweed, along with 

 the Sandwich and Common species. 



Although the Arctic Tern is not included by Mr. Muirhead as a 

 Berwickshire bird, I have no doubt that it occurs every autumn 

 along with the next species. I frequently see flocks of Terns off the 

 coast, and about the harbour at Eyemouth, at that season ; but I have 

 never had an opportunity of handling a specimen, and must confess 

 my inability to discriminate between the two species, when upon the 

 wing, except under the most favourable conditions. 



COMMON TERN, Sterna fluviatilis^ Naumann. A summer 

 migrant, nesting at the Fame Islands, and occurring commonly 

 here, and along the coast, together with the last species. 



Mr. Muirhead says he has sometimes observed it near St. Abb's 

 Head, and that it " may be easily distinguished from the gulls by 

 its smaller size and forked tail," but he does not tell us how it is 

 then to be separated from the last species. 



LITTLE TERN, Sterna minuta, Linnaeus. Many years ago this 

 species used to nest upon the coast near Holy Island, but it now 

 only occurs in the district as an occasional migrant, generally in 

 autumn. Three examples, one adult and two young birds, were shot 

 by my brother off the rocks at Scremerston, just outside the boundary 

 of the borough, on i5th August 1890, and are in my collection. 

 Two or three others have occurred in the district at this season : one 

 killed at Ancroft in August 1877, is in the Berwick Museum; and 

 another, at Goswick, in September 1890, is preserved by Sir William 

 Grossman, at Cheswick House. On i4th June 1889, a solitary 

 Little Tern was observed by my brother, flying about the harbour at 

 Holy Island. 



A year or two ago, an attempt was made to reintroduce the 

 Little Tern as a breeding species, by placing some eggs, obtained 



