VOL. VI.] LETTERS. 19^ 



of two miles in one season, but the following year not one returned^ 

 and this was also the case for some years afterwards. This might 

 have been due to disasters to the birds on migration, but of course- 

 this is necessarily mere supposition, and breeding is here apparently 

 sporadic. Although both Messrs. Bunyard and Meares class the- 

 Hawfinch as a sporadic breeder, there are orchards where it has brei 

 without intermission for ten years. 



As the limit of the breeding-range of any species is approached,, 

 thei'e must always be a tendency for nesting to become irregular and 

 sporadic. The recorded case of breeding of the Hobby in Scotland 

 must be classed under this head. But there can be no hard and fast 

 line between irregular breeding due to impulse or nomadic ten- 

 dency, and those cases due to accidental circumstances or natural 

 increase. — F. C. R. Jourdain.] 



BLAKENEY POINT TERN COLONIES. 



To the Editors of British Birds. 



Sirs, — The concluding paragraph of Mr. Rowan's note (supra,. 

 p. 102) might be taken to imply that the Arctic Teni has bred in past 

 years on Blakeney Point in Norfolk. This is not the case, but of 

 course Arctic and Sandwich Terns are often noticed there on passage. 



Clifford Borrer^ 



ORKNEY BREEDING-RECORDS OF LONG-TAILED DUCK 

 AND GREY LAG-GOOSE. 



To the Editors of British Birds. 



Sirs, — I see, in Vol. V., p. 203, of British Birds, you doubt the- 

 record of the Long-tailed Duck having bred in Orkney in 1911. I have 

 just returned from Orkney, and I am very glad that you have called 

 attention to the imsatisfactory method of recording a species as new 

 to any locality, because unless some competent person has seen the 

 nest in situ, it is surely unwise on second-hand evidence to record it 

 as breeding in any new locality. 



I would take this opportimity of calling attention to Mr. H. W. 

 Robinson's statement in Vol. III., p. 376, that the Grey Lag-Goose 

 nested on Kaileylang or Keeleylang, Orkney, in 1904. If Mr. Robin- 

 son saw the birds and nest himself, I will at once acknowledge its 

 correctness ; but if he did not, who did see them ? 



James R. Hale. 



