242 BIRDS OF LANCASHIRE. 



OKDER CtAVI^. 



FAMILY LARID^.- SUBFAMILY STERNIN^. 

 GENUS STERNA. 



AECTIC TEEN. 



Sterna macrura, Naumann. 



Local Names — SparlhKj, Keh, Skrike, Sea-Swallow. 



The Arctic Tern is a summer visitor, and breeds in 

 considerable numbers on Walney, and some of the sur- 

 rounding islets. Various opinions are held as to whether 

 it or the Common Tern is most plentiful. Mr. Howard 

 Saunders, who visited Walney early in June, 1865, 

 writes me that tlieii they were about equal, but that near 

 Piel there was a preponderance of Arctic ; the late 

 Mr. H. Durnford, however, as I am informed by his 

 brother, Mr. W. A. Durnford, considered, some ten 

 years later, the Common Tern to be the more numerous, 

 and the latter gentleman says that three out of four 

 of his skins are of this species, while he believes the 

 proportion is in reality still greater.* There is no doubt 

 that proportions change, and Mr. Saunders says that on 

 the Fame islands, for instance, the Common Tern is 

 distinctly pressing back the Arctic, and in Brittany also 

 is driving away the Koseate (Yarrell, " Brit. Birds," 

 4th ed., iii. p. 545). The Arctic Tern arrives on its 

 breeding-ground in May, and leaves in September or 



* On May 30th, 1885, during a short visit to Wahiey, I recog- 

 nized plenty of Common Tern, but not one Arctic, and the same 

 at Ravenglass. — Ed. 



