158 BRITISH BIRDS. 



to the young one. Meal-worms (a favourite " dish " of his) 

 were well beaten and probed until quite soft, and then held 

 out to the young one, who took them out of his bill. Maggots 

 and worms were also held out to her, although these latter 

 were not beaten unless the worm was rather a large one. I 

 never heard him call her up to feed ; I suppose because there 

 was no need, for the young one never let him get six inches 

 away from her for at least a week ! Now, August 26th, the 

 young one is fully grown and feathered ; indeed, she is larger 

 than " John," but he still feeds her at intervals if he finds 

 any particular delicacy and always gives her the meal-worms. 

 I have great hopes that the young one will prove to be a 

 female ; but there is no external way of telling the sex that 

 I know of. " John " has had three companions since he 

 was hatched (two years ago last May), and he has cordially 

 disliked them all. Two have died, and they both proved 

 cocks on dissection ; the other I liberated in the spring, as 

 he was beyond doubt also a cock. Should this young one 

 be a female, I see no reason why they should not breed, or 

 attempt to breed, as she is becoming very tame, though I do 

 not even hope that she will become as tame as he is. Each 

 spring " John " goes through his full nuptial display to me 

 whenever I go near his cage ; indeed, he starts his loud spring 

 caU directly he hears my step in the house, and it is a curious 

 fact that he has again started his spring call and display to 

 me, although in full moult, since the young one has been with 

 him ; but as far as I can judge, the display is for my benefit 

 and not the young bird's, as he does not " perform " unless I 

 am close to his cage or speak to him. 



This year there are several late hatched Snipe about ; in 

 this neighbourhood (West Norfolk) all the early hatched ones 

 must have been drowned, so that probably accounts for so 

 many second broods. H. Wokmald. 



BLACK TERN IN SURREY. 



On July 31st last I watched at close quarters, at Frensham 

 Great Pond, an adult example of Hydrochelidon nigra. The 

 bird had just commenced to assume the winter-plumage, 

 the forehead being pure white, while the throat and sides of 

 face and neck were of a dirty white colour. 



Although at one lime a fairly regular visitor to Surrey 

 (Bucknill, Birds of Svrrey, pp. 320-1), the Black Tern appears 

 to have been of less frequent occurrence during recent years, 

 judging from the smaU number of records which have come 

 to light . HowAED Bentham. 



