NOTES. 55 



that I am able to record the addition of the Little Tern {Sterna 

 minuta) to the breeding-birds of Cleveland. Since 1900 

 the shore which now is the breeding-site has been quite 

 suitable for the nesting of the Little Tern, but not until the 

 present summer have eggs of the species been found. Formerly 

 Little Terns annually visited the spot on migration, though 

 no signs have been apparent until recently of their staying to 

 nest. Last year a few birds were noted throughout the summer 

 by the local fishermen, but no eggs were found. As these 

 birds were often to be seen at the same time as three Sandwich 

 Terns (the latter being well known not to be breeding), it 

 was generally surmised that they were either late migrants 

 or non-breeders. This year, after having under observation 

 four pairs of Little Terns for several days, I discovered, on 

 June 2nd, three nests — two containing two eggs and the other 

 three, but, alas, as the birds had nested rather low on the 

 shore, a high tide occurring on June 6th swept every egg away. 

 Despite this, on June 9tli, the birds were still frequenting 

 the ground and seemed like making preparations for laying 

 again. It is hoped they will, if a second attempt is made, 

 rear young. The situation lends every natural protection, 

 the breeding-ground being very extensive for the size of the 

 colony. So far as I can learn. Little Terns have not pre- 

 viously nested at the Tees Mouth within the memory of living 

 man. 



In the Birds of Yorkshire it is stated that the only York- 

 shire colony of Terns is at Spurn, and that J. Hogg in the 

 Zoologist (1845, p. 1187) refers to the Lesser Tern inhabitmg 

 in summer the sandy beach near the Tees Mouth, but no note 

 of nesting is mentioned. Stanley Duncan. 



LITTLE GULL IN KENT. 



On May 16th, 1910, when Mr. A. W. Seaby and I were on the 

 shore between Littlestone and Dungeness we saw a Little 

 Gull {Larus minutus) sitting by some Common Terns. As 

 we had neither of us seen this species before, it may be Mell 

 for me to describe it. Its head was mainly slaty-black, but 

 the forehead was quite white and the parts about the eye 

 grey ; the mantle was very pale, almost white, with some dark 

 flecks ; the primaries were mostly black. In flight it showed 

 a black patch on the front edge of the wing ; its tail-feathers 

 were tipped with black, except the two middle ones, which 

 were white throughout ; the tail was distinctly graduated. 

 Its feet were bright red and its beak was dark, either dark 

 red or dark bro^n. 



