CASPIAN TERN. 297 



As will be observed, all these specimens, with one 

 exception, were killed at or near Yarmouth, and, since 

 the last named, I am not aware of any more recent 

 occurrence. This is probably owing to the gradual de- 

 crease in numbers of this species, which has now been 

 going on for many years in its old breeding haunts on 

 the Frisian coasts, whence we may infer that the birds 

 visiting us were wanderers. 



Nos. 1 and 2 of the foregoing list probably both refer 

 to the bird mentioned in Hunt's " List" (1829) as having 

 "been recently killed near Yarmouth." Messrs. Paget 

 (1834) record two specimens — one the 1825 bird, and 

 another ^'in the Norwich Museum, which was shot 

 here ; " this latter is doubtless No. 2 of Mr. Gurney's 

 list ; it was presented to the Norwich Museum with 

 other birds, by the Rev. G. Steward, in 1831. 



No. 3. I can discover nothing of the history of this 

 bird, and if really a Caspian tern it is probably not in 

 existence. 



No. 4, This example came into Mr. Gurney's pos- 

 session soon after it was killed, and was given by him 

 to Mr. Heysham ; at the dispersal of that gentleman's 

 collection in 1850, Mr. Gurney re-purchased it, and it is 

 now at Northrepps ; it had a curious history attached to 

 it, as I am informed by Mr. Gurney ; some one went 

 into a Yarmouth gunsmith's to buy a gun, and chose one 

 which suited him, but before completing his purchase 

 he asked the gunsmith to allow him to try it, and, the 

 latter consenting, he took it just outside the town and 

 shot the first bird which passed over him, and which 

 proved to be this Caspian tern. 



No. 5 was shot on Breydon by Mr. H. J. Barber, for 

 whom it was preserved, and has recently passed into the 

 possession of Mr. P. B. Bellin. (There is a note in Mr. 

 Stevenson's MS. book as follows : " Mr. C. S. Preston 

 says he owns this bird.") It was recorded in the " Zoolo- 

 gist" by two different correspondents (pp. 2600 and 

 2529) as measuring in length 22 1 inches, and from tip 

 to tip of wings 4 feet 3| inches, but they differ as to the 

 sex. 



Nos. 6 and 7. It seems probable that these two refer 

 to the same bird which was shot on Breydon; it was 

 3p 



