200 On the Occurrence of some of the Barer Species of Birds 



Wilton in 1870, which was stuffed by King, of Warminster, and 

 is now, I believe, in Mr. Rawlence's collection. 



Laeid^. 



The next family that we have to speak of is the large and some- 

 what puzzling one of the Terns and Gulls, which must be considered 

 - in our own county only in the light of tramps and vagrants, having 

 no abiding home amongst us, and, when they do visit us, tarrying 

 but for a day. 



Hydrochelidon Nigra. " The Black Tern.^'' I have several notices 



of this bird occurring inland in our district. Mr. Baker writes me, 



" While fishing at Steeple Langford on April 29th, 1884, a Black 



-Tern hovered over the water quite close to me for some time, when 



-my friend, Mr. C. Chalker, fetched his gun, and shot it. It was 



va mature specimen in full breeding plumage.^'' Mr. Baker has 



.another specimen, killed at Mere, in summer plumage; and another 



shot at Norton Ferris, in 1860, in winter dress. As I was rowing 



on the river at Downton one of these birds flew round and round 



-the boat, coming so close to me that I had a perfect view of it. 



This, also, was in full plumage. They occur yearly at Christchurch 



in all states of plumage ; and four years ago, when I was out with 



Hart in his yacht, in the harbour, one of the gunners brought in 



two that he had just shot. They were in winter plumage. Hart 



has seen several this month also, he tells me, in the harbour. 



Hydrochelidon Leucoptera. " The White-winged Black Tern." 

 This bird, in its immature plumage, is hard to distinguish from the 

 former species. But, as Mr. Cecil Smith remarks, in his excellent 

 paper on distinctions, before alluded to, read before the Taunton 

 Society, the young of this bird has always a band of white above 

 the upper tail coverts ; the same part being grey in the young of 

 the Black Tern, though at times of a very light grey. In adult 

 -plumage it is unmistakable, as not only is there a white patch on 

 the shoulder of the wing, but the whole tail, and tail coverts, are 

 pure white. Some ten years ago or so this bird was considered to 

 be very rare, but, as Hart says, it is most likely not so rare as it 

 was once thought to be. One was brought in to him in 1882, 



