84 BRITISH BIRDS. 



Common and one adult male Black Tern {Hydrochelidon 

 nigra). They were, together with half a dozen or more 

 Black-headed Gulls, feeding on insects which were flying 

 above the surface of the mere. The Common Terns repeatedly 

 dived downw^ards towards the w^ater but did not strike the 

 surface ; they swooped upwards before they reached the water, 

 evidently having captured their prey. The Black Tern flew 

 with more graceful sweeps and curves, never half closing its 

 wings and shooting downwards, and occasionally just touched 

 the water with its bill as it passed, apparently picking some- 

 thing from the surface. It repeatedly flew to and settled 

 upon a stump which projects above water ; when it was 

 standing on the stump I could easily see the black head, and 

 almost black throat, breast and belly, strongly contrasted 

 with the white vent and slate back and wings. On May 1st, 

 when I next visited the mere, I could see neither the Common 

 nor the Black Tern, but on the 2nd I found that there were 

 two mature Black Terns, one, probably a female, being 

 noticeably lighter on the underparts. 



Black Terns are occasional visitors to Cheshire on both 

 spring and autumn migration. In June, 1900, three birds 

 were seen by Messrs. F. S. Graves and P. Ralfe, and in 

 September, 1903, Mr. C. Oldham and I saw one, and in August, 

 1905, two birds on this mere. 



T. A. Coward. 



BIRDS IN NORFOLK IN 1907. 



Mr. J. H. GuRNEY contributes to the " Zoologist " for April 

 his usual interesting annual report on the ornithology of 

 Norfolk. The most notable events to which reference has 

 not previously been made in our pages were as follow : — 



Desert Wheatear {Saxicola deserti). — A male was shot 

 *' near the sea " on October 31st. This is only the second 

 recorded occurrence of this southern bird in England, although, 

 curiously enough, three have been obtained in Scotland. 



Fire-crested Wren {Regulus ignicapillus). — One was 

 caught in the town of Yarmouth on October 31st. 



Yellow-browed Warbler {Phylloscopus superciliosus). — 

 One was shot at Cley on October 29th. This is its second 

 occurrence in Norfolk. 



Red-breasted Flycatcher {Muscicapa parva). — One was 

 identified (not very satisfactorily) by Mr. E. C. Arnold on the 

 coast on September 11th, and another was identified by 

 another observer on October 29th. 



Rose-coloured Starling {Pastor roseus). — One at 

 Toftrees in April. 



