130 BRITISH BIRDS. 



by the food-supply, which varies considerably in different 

 districts. 



In my experience the Common Tern does not vary so much 

 as the others — about 85 per cent, of nests contain three eggs." 

 In the case of the Sandwich Tern clutches of three are very 

 rare in one large colony known to me — perhaps one per cent, 

 of the whole, while in another well known one the proportion 

 is very much larger. In a third small one, in a very out-of- 

 the-way spot, but where food is abundant, 99 per cent, of the 

 nests usually contain three eggs. 



The same applies to the Arctic Tern. On the Fame Islands 

 in 1907 I saw only two nests out of 101 with three eggs — 90 

 containing two, and nine one egg, whilst on the island of 

 Sanday (Orkney) where the species is abundant, although the 

 colonies are small, I noticed in one colony 20 nests with three 

 eggs ; 10 nests with two eggs ; 10 nests with one egg ; and in 

 another, 13 nests with three eggs ; one nest with two ; and 

 one nest with one egg. Of course a proportion only of the 

 nests was found. 



Norman Gilroy. 



Protection in Norfolk. — The report by Mr. C. A. 

 Hamond of the Wells Wild Bird Protection Society for- 1908, 

 shows what successful results can be achieved by the employ- 

 ment of watchers. Terns and other birds have undoubtedly 

 increased, 400 or 500 pairs of Common Terns having nested in 

 the area watched during 1908, while Black-headed Gulls 

 returned to an old breeding place (Mow Creek), after an 

 absence of seventy years ! We have always thought that 

 such one-time British breeding birds as the Ruff, Black 

 Tern, Spoonbill, Bittern, and we are afraid there are 

 many others, would return to (or rather would stay in, for 

 they certainly often return to) old breeding haunts, which are 

 still suitable, if they were efficiently protected. 



Yellow-browed Warbler in Scotland in Spring. — A 

 specimen of Phylloscopus superciliosus — the first observed in 

 this country in the spring — was satisfactorily identified by 

 Mr. George Stout, who has become familiar with the bird in 

 Fair Isle, on April 11th, at Lockerbie, Dumfriesshire (Ann. 

 Scot. Nat. Hist., 1909, p. 182). 



White Wagtail on the East Coast of Ireland. — In 

 Vol. I., p. Ill, we noted that Motacilla alba had only twice 

 been recorded from the east coast of Ireland ; it is therefore 

 interesting to have some further records from Mr. Alexander 



