128 The Zoologist— March, 1866. 



preferring as feeding-grounds the extensive mud-flats towards Sheer- 

 ness. 



JVild Duck. — A fevr made their appearance early in September, but 

 soon left the neighbourhood. 



Teal. — I saw a large flock on the 15lh of September; a few days 

 later my brother killed a single bird that rose out of one of the creeks. 

 As a rule, very few ducks are seen before hard weather sets in. 



Common Tern. — The species was first seen this season about the 

 latter end of July, from which time until the end of September they 

 might coustantly be seen beating the creeks in a most methodical 

 manner. 



Black Tern. — On several occasions during the autumn I fancied 

 that I had seen a ievf of these terns, though at such a distance that it 

 was impossible to identify them. At length, on the 12th of October, 

 during a gale from the northward, I observed one beating about some 

 sheltered pools of water inside the sea-wall : it proved to Be a bird of 

 the year. The species is far from common about the creeks. 



Blackheaded Gull. — These gulls left this year for their breeding- 

 grounds about the end of February ; a few had returned by the 1st of 

 July ; these were mostly adult birds, still retaining the brown head. 

 By far the greater number did not make their appearance until the end 

 of July and beginning of August; at this time they collect into flocks, 

 which consist chiefly of birds of the year, a iew old ones only (and. 

 these without the brown head) to be found among them. This species, 

 which is by far the most common about the creeks, continues in the 

 neighbourhood during the whole winter, occasionally visiting the 

 "sprat-fields" on the cultivated land, where, in company with the 

 hooded crow, it enjoys a most savoury banquet. It is astonishing how 

 correctly they time themselves in their visits inland, generally leaving 

 the creeks as soon as the rising tide has covered the mud-banks ; from 

 this time till the turn of the tide not a gull is, as a rule, to be seen ; 

 but no sooner does the tide begin to ebb than they re-appear, first in 

 ones and twos, then in detached parties, and immediately commence 

 beating over and settling on the mud-flats, now covered by only an 

 inch or two of water. 



Common Gull. — Decidedly uncommon, being not nearly so often 

 seen as the next species, the lesser blackbacked gull. 



Lesser Blackbacked Gull. — I observed adult birds of this species 

 early in July. They are, next to the blackheaded, the most common 

 gull about the creeks j as many as fourteen have been seen together 



