274 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST 



The High Mortality at Forvie in 191 2. 



The following is a summary of my observations regarding 

 the high mortality prevailing at the Forvie Tern colony in 

 191 2, and also regarding the very relevant question of the 

 feeding of the young birds : 



(1) On 2 1st July, during a two-hours' walk through the 



favourite nesting places, 125 recently dead and three 

 or four dying Terns, of all ages from the newly hatched 

 to the flying period, were found. All of these showed 

 signs of emaciation and starvation, and there was an 

 absence of any other likely cause of death. 



(2) On the 1 8th and 19th July a strong, bitterly cold, and 



rainless north-easterly gale had prevailed, and very 

 rough seas. On 17th July a large number of nests 

 and many newly hatched young had been seen along 

 the sand-dunes near the shore, but the storm practi- 

 cally killed and buried them all. Thus the breeding 

 season was abruptly ended. 



(3) During my stay in the neighbourhood there had been 



several rainless wind storms, and after each a fresh 

 lot of recently dead young Terns were found. The 

 outlines of the sand-dunes were perceptibly altered, 

 and hollows were filled up with blown sand. 



(4) Fourteen of the 125 dead Terns found on the 21st July 



were sent only a few hours after death to the Natural 

 History Department of Aberdeen University. All the 

 specimens were at the fully feathered stage. Miss L. 

 Florence, B.Sc, reported that in each of the fourteen 

 Terns the stomach was empty, that the internal organs 

 were normal, that no parasites were found, and that 

 the birds had apparently died of starvation. Lack of 

 rain was also suggested as a cause of mortality. 



(5) The Forvie Terns are entirely sea or estuary feeders, 



none ever being found inland. The only food carried 

 to the young is a small fish or fry like a sand-eel, 

 which may be seen as a curved glistening object in 

 the bill of the parent bird. The one parent having 



