$208 THe ZoOLOoGIST—SEPTEMBER, 1872. 
one of our plantations this morning, had the bastard wings light 
gray. It is rarely we find a variety in this species. 
Cormorant.—July 17th. I noticed a cormorant this morning 
fishing near the inner buoy to the west of the Spurn Lights. A 
pair have been seen about this place for some days. 
Lesser Tern.—July 17th. At Spurn, to-day, 1 found, near their 
principal breeding station, about forty pairs of the lesser terns, 
mainly adults; also many others along the coast, as well as 
immature birds; but all were well on the wing. I think there 
were, however, still nestlings on the shingle, as the old birds were 
very noisy and bold, and some carried small fish in their bills. It 
was too late for the eggs, and I only found one, which was rotten. 
A fisherman living here, who occasionally takes the eggs for 
collectors, says that the lesser terns, nesting at Spurn, have 
certainly increased since the passing of the Act; and I quite think 
this is the case. This year they have had a most favourable 
nesting season, very few eggs having been taken. In former years 
this man says he has taken eggs from forty nests in a day; this 
year ‘there has been no demand for them. Amongst the lesser 
terns were a few of a larger species; the only pair which came 
near enough for identification were arctic terns. 
Ringed Plover.—July 17th. In flocks at Spurn, young and old 
together. Several young birds, seen on shingles, only just able to 
take wing: I took up one little nestling, apparently only a few hours 
out of the shell. To use a common Lincolnshire proverb, this 
little creature “ran like a redshank” when placed on the smooth 
sand. One nest found, not on the shingle, but within the sand- 
hills: it was a shallow sancer, just large enough to hold the four 
eggs (which were hard sat upon), placed point to point, forming a 
quatrefoil; there was apparently no pavement of small stones in 
this nest, but the stones I found were there, only covered with fine 
sand which had drifted over them. 
Dunlin.—July 17th. Several small flocks of dunlins on our 
marsh fallows. At Spurn, on the 17th, there was one flock of two 
hundred to three hundred on the shingles: they were very tame. 
I walked quietly up and looked them over, using a binocular 
glass, to pick out, if possible, any rarity which might have joined 
the company; from where I stood to the centre of the flock 
(I measured it afterwards) was only eighteen paces. These dunlins 
were in summer plumage, having the black pectoral patch, but 
