COMMON TERN. 303 



believes that the diminution in numbers, which will lead 

 to the ultimate extinction of the common tern on our 

 coast, is due partly to indiscriminate egging, and partly 

 to the comparatively few broods which hatch off falling 

 victims, in the early part of August, so soon as the close 

 time is over, to parties of persons who imagine that they 

 are sportsmen, and, coming from a town in the neigh- 

 bourhood, shoot all the terns they can. It is well known 

 that at this season a wounded tern, by its screaming, 

 attracts every other of its species within hearing, and 

 the gallant gunner shoves in his cartridges and blazes 

 away until it is time for him again to seek the tap-room, 

 whence he had set out in the morning, there to recount 

 to an admiring circle his glorious deeds of skill. Accord- 

 ing to a well known professional gunner, who of course 



regards such behaviour with scorn, " the gents," 



as he called them, naming the town whence they came, 

 in one August " nearly cleared off the big terns." 



I could mention more to the same effect, but enough 

 has been written to show what I fear must be the fate of 

 this charming species at no distant time unless all lovers 

 of birds exert themselves in its behalf. There can be no 

 doubt that the establishment of a " close time " has had 

 the effect of retarding its extermination, which otherwise 

 would have probably been accomplished by now, so far 

 as this county is concerned; but more remains to be 

 done to ensure its safety, and this can only be effected 

 by the prolongation of the protected period for perhaps 

 another fortnight, so as to allow the late hatched broods 

 and their parents to escape. I am indeed assured that 

 in one of its haunts it has not decreased in number, and 

 that in another until 1886 it had actually increased of 

 late years, the people in the neighbourhood being under 

 the impression that its eggs were protected by law. I 

 am pleased to hear that the Earl of Leicester has 

 informed his tenants on the portion of his estate on 

 which the two terns and the ring dotterel breed that he 

 does not allow the eggs to be taken : consequently all 

 pillagers are warned off the ground, and the result was a 

 very fine show of terns, both old and young, last August, 

 frequenting the mouth of Wells Harbour, and the colony 

 referred to has certainly held its own, and probably in- 



