3606 The Zoologist — July, 1873. 



Lesser Tern. — This species, like the two former, had just com- 

 menced to lay, but I did not see more than three or four pairs on 

 Wahiey Island. On Foulney Island there were about four pairs 

 nesting, and I succeeded in finding two nests amongst small pieces 

 of broken shells, gravel, sand and small pebbles. This was the only 

 species, with the exception of one or two pairs of ringed plovers, 

 nesting in this island ; and a flock of curlews feeding on the 

 pasture-lands, and some immature lesser blackbacked and herring 

 gulls, were the only other birds on the island. 



From the above I should say the terns are much less numerous 

 in Walney and Foulney Islands than they were nine years ago, and 

 the large shooting or slaughtering parties which used continually to 

 visit the latter have effectually banished the birds from it. Mr. 

 Geldert, the lighthouse-keeper, informed me that he once shot 

 sixteen " sparlings" (common terns) at one shot on Foulney. 



I regret to say there is a good prospect of coal being found 

 under the whole of Walney Island, and they are going to begin 

 boring at the south end at once : if they should be successful I fear 

 the island will no longer be a breeding-place' of the most beautiful 

 of our sea-birds. 



H. DURNFOBD. 



1, Stanley Road, Waterloo, Liverpool, 

 May, 1873. 



Notes from Leislon, Suffolk. By G. T. Rope, Esq. 



Considering the unusually mild character of the winter we have 

 had a fair quantity of ducks over, but very few wigeon came to feed 

 on the marshes before January. From the absence of severe frosts 

 ducks have been in capital condition ; I weighed several at the 

 latter part of November, shot at the evening flight: the heaviest 

 mallard reached three pounds two ounces, the heaviest duck two 

 pounds twelve ounces, another duck two pounds ten ounces. 



Nov. 12. Wind N.E. Very stormy. Several lots of fowl flying 

 round about over the marshes, it being too rough for them out at 

 sea. A great many large gulls about, principally the young of the 

 lesser blackbacked and herring gulls. Saw a single snow bunting 

 on the beach ; it remained near the same spot several days. There 

 have been a good many jackdaws here of late, in company with the 

 rooks: they are far from common birds here generally, though 



