256 WITH NATURE AND A CAMEBA. 



We had the good fortune to see and hear a 

 Roseate Tern two or three times over. Its note 

 is very similar to tliat of a Corncrake in harshness, 

 and easily distinguished from th(jso of the other 

 Terns. I tried to watch the bird to the ground, 

 both with my binoculars and with the unaided 

 eye, thinking I might then be able to trace it 

 to its eggs, ir it had any, l)ut in vain; it was 

 always lost in the ever-changing, swooping, swirl - 

 insr thronff of white-winged creatures, and I was 

 obliged to give up the quest. 



On the Inner Wide Opens a great number of 

 Common and Arctic Terns breed, and within two 

 or three feet of their egga we found clutches 

 belonging to Oyster -catchers and Ringed Plover. 

 Whilst on this island, I narrowly escaped having 

 my cap knocked off my head by an angry Tern, 

 which swept down upon me again and again 

 with a loud scream, because I approached its nest, 

 situated amongst some sea campion, too closely. 



When fishing for their prey Terns always plunge 

 into the sea head to wind. I noticed that upon 

 arriving at their breeding station, if they were 

 unable to discover their own offspring amongst the 

 crowd, running about like a flock of miniature^ 

 sheep, they rose again and flew away with the 

 tit-bit they had brought in their Ijills. Curiously 

 enouo-h, whilst sittin": at the end of St. Cuthbert's 

 little church, I could always see more birds flying 

 away from tin* Tern-inhabited islands with food in 

 their bills than to them. The watchei-s told me 

 that tlu^y had oftcMi l)een struck by the same strange 

 fact, and concluded that the Ijirds were flying away 

 to escape robbery by their neigh])()urs, an ever- 

 clamorous ci-owd of which are continually hanging 

 about over the islands. 



