A HISTORY OF BERKSHIRE 



a specimen near Maidenhead (Birds of Berks 

 and Bucks, p. 148). Mr. T. W. Proger 

 informs me that he shot one at Moulsford 

 Ferry in October, 1900. 



193. Little Tern. Sterna minuta, Linn. 



This, the smallest of the British terns, is 

 an occasional visitor. One was taken at 

 Wallingford, September, 1794 (' Ornith. Ber- 

 cheria'). In July, 1867, another was shot 

 near Windsor and one at Cookham Grove 

 (Birds of Berks and Bucks, p. 149), and a third 

 is mentioned the same year in the Wellington 

 College Natural Science Report. The landlord 

 of the Swan Inn, Pangbourne, has one in his 

 possession killed in that district. 



194. Sooty Tern. Sterna fulig inosa, Gmelin. 

 On June 21, 1867, one of these birds was 



shot on the Thames near Wallingford by 

 Mr. Franklyn, and examined in the flesh by 

 Mr. J. E. Harting (Zool. 1869, p. 1867). 

 It was an adult bird. 



195. Little Gull. Larus minutus, Pallas. 

 One was shot at Sandford on October 27, 



1890 (Fauna and Flora of Radley, p. 13). 

 This is just over our boundary, but it was 

 probably on the river which here divides 

 the two counties. 



196. Black-headed Gull. Larus ridibundus, 



Linn. 



Often seen on the Thames in spring and 

 occasionally in autumn. A large flock re- 

 mained for some days on partially-flooded 

 meadows at Bolney Court in March, 1900, 

 which continually passed over to our side. 

 Under the name of L. ntevius (this gull in 

 winter plumage) it is mentioned in Dr. Lamb's 

 list, and under the name of masked gull 

 (Larus capistratus) the same bird is recorded 

 by Clark Kennedy (Birds of Berks and Bucks, 

 p. 2 1 6). 



197. Common Gull. Larus canus, Linn. 

 Frequently seen in spring and autumn, 



more especially in the former months. The 

 last that has come under my notice was killed 

 at Sulhampstead on February 8, 1902. 



198. Herring-Gull. Larus argentatus, Gmelin. 

 This species may often be seen in stormy 



weather flying high over the county, and 

 has been taken a few times. Morris mentions 

 one captured between Maidenhead and Wind- 

 sor in January, 1855. It is recorded from 

 Wellington College, and I have more than 

 once seen specimens at Park Place. A fine 

 example of the second year was shot at South 



Hill Park in August, 1889, by a keeper 

 named May (E. T. Phillips in lit.}. 



199. Lesser Black-backed Gull. Larus fuscus, 



Linn. 



Rather more uncommon than the pre- 

 ceding, though possibly some of the immature 

 birds seen but not handled might belong to 

 this species. One was shot on Wash Com- 

 mon in 1884 (Palmer, ' Birds of Newbury and 

 District'), and another adult male taken at 

 Upper Mapledurham Lock on April 30, 1898 

 (Bradshaw in lit.). 



200. Great Black-backed Gull. Larus mari- 



nus, Linn. 



Mr. Newton of Crowmarsh tells me he has 

 one in his collection killed near Wallingford. 



201. Kittiwake Gull. Rissa tridactyla(L\nn.). 



Occasionally met with. Clark Kennedy 

 (Birds of Berks and Bucks) says he examined 

 several of these gulls killed in the county, but 

 was unable to procure any particulars. One 

 was killed near Newbury on January 27, 

 1872 (Newbury and District Field Club, p. 

 98). On January 31, 1901, another was 

 caught with a rod and line on the river near 

 Mapledurham (Bradshaw in lit.). Another 

 was obtained by Mr. Newton near Walling- 

 ford. 



202. Pomatorhine Skua. Stercorarius poma- 



torhinus (Temminck). 



A male was discovered by Mr. H. M. 

 Wallis in a bird-stuffer's shop in Newbury, 

 where it had been sent to be made into a 

 fan ! It was killed in a wood near that 

 town on or about October 25, 1877, and 

 proved on dissection to be a male in very 

 poor condition (Zool. 1878, p. 135). This is 

 evidently the bird mentioned by Dr. Palmer 

 in his paper on ' Birds of Newbury and 

 District.' 



203. Richardson's Skua. Stercorarius crepi- 



datus (Gmelin). 



Dr. Palmer had one in his possession shot 

 at Ashmansworth near Newbury in 1883, 

 and Mr. G. T. Phillips has the skin of another 

 killed near Broadmoor about 1877. 



204. Little Auk. Mergulus alle (Linn.). 



In the early part of November, 1807, a 

 male was taken in the mill-stream at New- 

 bury (' Ornith. Bercheria '), and another was 

 shot at Shinfield in January, 1895 (Bradshaw 

 in lit.). 



205. Puffin. Fratercula arctica (Linn.). 

 One was caught in Northbrook Street, 



164 



