86 BIRD-LIFE IN A SOUTHERN COUNTY. 



weather they penetrate far up the river. The rare 

 Caspian Tern, we believe, has been shot in this 

 estuary. Less frequently, the dainty Black Tern 

 makes its appearance. There is a sad interest 

 attaching to the Black Tern, because it formerly 

 bred in England. Whether even a pair do so now 

 is open to question : certainly there is no direct 

 evidence in support of it, whilst the last eggs of 

 which we haye any record were taken forty years 

 ago (1858). Pairs of Black Terns still visit us, but 

 whether intent on breeding within our area seems 

 open to the gravest doubt. The Lesser Tern is 

 seen more frequently, but the incessant persecution 

 of the species has sadly reduced its numbers, and 

 its breeding stations in our isles are few and far 

 between. As with the other species, its visits are 

 chiefly dependent upon stormy weather, the birds 

 seeking the estuary for shelter. The Gull tribe is 

 also well represented in these estuaries. During 

 the non-breeding season the Kittiwake, the Common 

 Gull, and the Black-headed Gull are common 

 enough on the southern coasts, the latter espe- 

 cially, which linger with us until the early spring ; 

 then gales and stormy weather in autumn and 

 winter drive in the two kinds of Black-backed 



