THE BIRDS OF THE MOY ESTUARY. 325 
Arctic Tern, Sterna arctica.—I have occasionally shot speci- 
mens of this Tern in the estuary and bay during summer, but I have 
not been able to ascertain whether it breeds in the district. 
Lesser Tern, Slerna minuta.—Occasionally seen in summer. 
On the 24th May, 1851, -I shot one out of a little flock fishing in 
the Moyne channel; and in July, 1861, on the sands near Killala, 
I saw two old birds with a young one. The latter, though able 
to fly pretty well, had the long feathers of its wings not fully 
grown up. 
Black Tern, Sterna nigra.—Very rare, and has only once come 
under my notice. On the 12th October, 1859, as I was fishing for 
sea trout near Bartragh I remarked a group of four or five small 
Terns resting on the sands. [ at first took them to be the young 
of the Common Tern; but shortly after they commenced to hawk 
after insects, and the very sudden and adroit twists and turns they 
made in pursuit of their diminutive prey at once showed that they 
were birds I had never seen before. On shooting a pair I found 
they were the Black Tern in immature plumage, and it is not 
improbable that they had been bred on one or other of the bog- 
lakes of the district. 
Black-headed Gull, Larus ridibundus.— Resident and breeds in 
large numbers on several of the lakes of the district. Cloonagh 
Lake, about two miles from Ballina, is a favourite resort, as also 
Rarooyeen, the breeding ground of a large colony. In the middle 
of the little lough there is a small island about fifteen yards in 
diameter, upon which the nests are placed so thickly that it is 
almost impossible to walk without damaging either nests or eggs. 
When LI last visited the island I counted upwards of two hundred 
nests with eggs or young, independently of the numerous nests 
built amongst the reeds and bulrushes which surround the island 
and grow on the margin of the lake. In the centre of the island, 
under a small bush quite in the middle of the gulls, I discovered 
two wild ducks’ nests, containing eight and nine eggs respectively, 
upon which the ducks were quietly hatching, undisturbed by their 
noisy neighbours, whose cries were almost deafening while we 
remained near them. 
Kittiwake, Larus tridactyla.—Numerous in summer, but only 
only occasionally seen in winter. Thousands breed on the high 
cliffs of Downpatrick Head. 
Common Gull, Larus canus.—Very common in winter; a few 
