300 BIRDS OP NORFOLK. 



It will be seen by the above records that the greater 

 number of these birds occur on the Norfolk coast to- 

 wards the end of summer or in autumn, beginning to 

 appear in July, reaching their greatest numbers in 

 August and September, and that after October they are 

 no more seen till the following spring, at which season 

 they have been met with in the months of April and 

 May, but are then decidedly rare. 



As these birds merely visit us in passing, of course 

 there is nothing to be said of their habits here, except 

 that they are found in some of the same localities as 

 those frequented by the common tern, but appear never 

 to leave salt water. It is not improbable that they often 

 pass unnoticed. 



STERNA DOUGALLI, Montagu. 

 ROSEATE TERN. 



The roseate tern is included in Hunt's " List " (1829), 

 where it is stated to be " very rare." The Messrs. Paget 

 also (in 1834) say, " Mr. Youell has known this to have 

 been shot here." Following these two authorities, this 

 species had been retained in all the successive lists 

 since that time, but no specimen had ever been pro- 

 duced to substantiate its claim to the position until the 

 one about to be mentioned. As this species was un- 

 doubtedly more frequent on the east coast many years 

 ago, of course it is quite possible that both Hunt and 

 Youell may have had sufficient grounds for their re- 

 marks but no precise evidence was adduced to verify 

 their statements. 



Since that time the roseate tern is said to have been 

 seen on the Norfolk coast more than once, the most 

 precise account being perhaps that of Mr. Booth, 

 who states (" Rough Notes," pt. xi.) that one of these 

 birds " flapped slowly past the punt on Breydon mud- 

 flats, on the 26th May, 1871," but both barrels being 

 empty at the time, the bird was out of shot before 

 another cartridge could be inserted. All doubt, how- 



