VOL. XV.] LETTERS. 71 



STATUS OF THE ARCTIC TERN IN SOUTH LANCASHIRE 

 AND THE FARNES. 



To the Editors of British Birds. 



Sirs, — Mr. H. B. Booth's remarks (antea, p. 48) on the status of the 

 Arctic Tern {Sterna paradiscea) in south Lancashire, I feel sure, do not 

 represent the facts. Having practically lived on these coastal dunes 

 for many years, I am confident that the Common Tern (S. himndo) 

 has always outnumbered the Arctic during the last twenty years. 

 The overwhelming superiority in the numbers of the Common Tern 

 has been manifest both on the examination of the living and of dead 

 birds. I therefore share Mr. Booth's surprise at the statement that 

 the "bulk of the birds were Arctics." 



On the south Lancashire dunes the Arctic Tern — even isolated 

 pairs — nests amongst the Common species, though distinct, small 

 isolated colonies are also formed. The Arctic Tern has certainly 

 increased and has not decreased within recent years. Of the two 

 species, the variation in seasonal numbers has been most marked in 

 the Arctic. The protection now given to the Terns in south Lancashire 

 will doubtless influence this matter, but systematic observation does 

 not lead me to believe that the Arctic will supplant the Common 

 species; rather, I think, for reasons too lengthy to enter into here, 

 the former will show a tendency to decrease under protection. 



F. W. Holder. 



SOUTHPORT, LaNCS. 



To the Editors of British Birds. 



Sirs, — I visited the Fame Islands on three occasions in June 192 1, 

 and can corroborate Mr. H. B. Booth's letter {ayitea, p. 47). The 

 Arctic Terns outnumber Common by thousands. The former nesting- 

 ground of the Terns was on the Knoxes in the Inner Fame group. 

 But owing to the depredations of the Lesser Black-backed Gulls 

 (L. /. affinis) they have almost entirely moved to the Brownsman. 

 Here Sandwich (S. s. sandvicensis), Arctic and Common are nesting 

 in a big colony ; the Sandwich very numerous, but far outnumbered 

 by the Arctic. I also visited the Fame Island, where there is an 

 increasing colony of Arctic with a few Common Terns. I was told 

 that there were two colonies of the latter Terns on the Longstone, 

 but was not there myself. Mary G. S. Best. 



Chelsea, S.W. 



OBITUARY. 



THE LATE COL. H. W. FEILDEN, c.b. 



By the death of Colonel Henry Wemyss Feilden, which took 

 place at the end of June 1921 at his home at Burwash, Sussex, 

 in his eighty-third year, there has passed away another 

 Mutiny veteran and a scientific explorer of world-wide 

 reputation. 



The second son of Sir William Henry Feilden, Bart., of 

 Feniscowles, Lancashire, he began his mihtary career in 



