318 BIRDS OF NORFOLK. 



quite certain as to the species. Tliat he was right 

 there appears little reason to doubt, for, on the 10th 

 of the same month, a beautiful male white-winged 

 black tern, now in the collection of Mr. E. W. Chase, 

 of Birmingham, was shot from a post on Hickling 

 Broad; it was alone when seen, but was probably one 

 of the pair seen two days previously by Mr. Silcock. 



Lastly, Mr. J. H. Gurney, jun., recently recognised a 

 young bird of this species in the shop of Mr. Lowne, of 

 Yarmouth, which was killed on Breydon in 1 888, and is 

 now in the collection of Mr. W. W. Spelman, of Brun- 

 dall, who purchased it of Mr. Lowne. Mr. Gurney 's 

 determination of the species was confirmed by Mr. 

 Howard Saunders. I know of no other occurrence of this 

 species in Norfolk, but Mr. J. A. Cole assures me that 

 on the 30th May, 188G, while moored fishing at Horning, 

 a white-winged black tern came leisurely beating up the 

 river and passed close to his boat ; he saw it very dis- 

 tinctly both in approaching and going away, and is quite 

 certain that he could not be mistaken. 



Whether or not this species has visited us of late 

 years more frequently than formerly is of course uncer- 

 tain, but it will be noticed that all the recorded speci- 

 mens, with one exception, have been met with in the 

 early summer, and are in full, or nearly full, breeding 

 plumage, a state in which they could hardly be over- 

 looked ; but on the return autumn migration, when im- 

 mature birds would probably occur, and in a stage of 

 plumage not easily to be distinguished from the black 

 tern, it has been recognised only in the single instance 

 given above. The frequent occurrence in the British 

 Islands of these birds in early summer is a curious fact 

 for which ornithologists have hitherto been unable to 

 account; for it may be confidently asserted that this 

 species has no breeding-place further north which it 

 may have been seeking, and it would really seem as 

 though there had been attempts to establish itself in 

 this county — attempts which might have succeeded but 

 for the cruel reception they have always met with. 

 Their wanton destruction therefore under such circum- 

 stances cannot be too strongly denounced by all true 

 ornitholo<^ists. 



