SOME BIRD NOTES 



273 



SUFFOLK TERNS AND FISHES 



A ternery exists near Aldeburgh, on the shingly beach at 

 Orford, a locality far less accessible, but equally suited to 

 the nesting habits of the common tern and the little tern, as 

 the marshes near Blakeney and Cley and Wells. I attempted 

 to pay this spot a visit in 1 896, but from sheer leg- weariness 

 gave it up after trudging four miles through yielding shingle, 

 and finding that there were at least four more to traverse 

 before the spot could be reached. I saw terns in the distance, 

 and noted the great similarity of the wind-polished stones, 

 which were covered with the Hypothallus of Lecidea petr&a, 



WHITE-WINGED BLACK TERN 



to those seen at Wells. Amongst these the eggs of terns 

 and ringed plovers would be distinguished only with difficulty 

 by an unpractised eye. I certainly expected to see far more 

 birds than I did. 



A falling-off in the " take " of smelts in the summer of 

 1906, was stupidly laid to the blame of the Orford terns ; 

 the ignorant fishermen (whose honesty I much doubted) 

 made complaint to the local authorities, and things began to 

 look very black for the birds. In the Angler's News of 

 September 1st appeared the following paragraph: 



" Seabirds and smelt. Since the Suffolk County Council 

 has forbidden the taking of the common tern or its eggs, 

 smelt-fishing on the Aide has been practically ruined. After a 

 conference with the fishermen, Mr. R. L. Everett, M.P., is taking 

 the matter up with a view to the removal of the restriction." 

 T 



