1818 Tiih Zoologist — August, 1808. 



for the tide at ebb and flow sweeps round the island like a mill- 

 stream. 



These sand dunes at Spurn are in the autumn a favourite halting- 

 place for woodcocks, and a well-known locality for the little gold- 

 crests; and doubtless many another rare ocean wanderer, " stooping 

 weary to the welcome land," here finds a temporary refuge. I 

 believe in the spring and autumn the Poiut would be an excellent 

 station for an ornithologist, in some respects superior to Flamborough 

 Head. 



These sand-hills are green with the waving sea-rush (marram), 

 and at the time of my visit were gay with the green succulent leaves 

 and large delicate pink and white flowers of the sea bind-weed, 

 clusters of the gray-blue sea holly and thickets of the prickly sallow- 

 thorn. 



I extract from my book the following notes on the birds seen 

 during a visit to the Point, with two friends, on the 2nd of July. 



Lesser Tern. — There is a breeding-place of the lesser tern about 

 half-a-mile from the light-house, near a break in the sand-hills where 

 the sea has at some time swept across into the H umber. In conse- 

 quence of the lateness of the season we found no nests; but near this 

 place saw eight or ten pairs of these small terns on the wing, also a 

 few young birds which on our approach rose from the shingle. 

 These young terns were wild and shy, and the old birds particularly 

 so, hovering overhead, beyond reach even of a green cartridge. 

 Nothing can exceed the exquisite beauty of the little tern on the 

 wing: seen against a back-ground of blue sky, they look half trans- 

 parent, as if carved in ivory ; their harsh cry, " chick, chick, chicker, 

 chick," although somewhat monotonous, yet in harmony with the 

 other voices of Nature, the whispering of the breeze over the 

 "marram," and the screech of the fretful sea over its bed of pebbles. 

 There were at this spot about the same number of a larger tern on 

 the wing, and three or four young birds of this larger species : 

 I believe them to have been the common tern, but do not feel certain 

 about it. Mr. Wheelwright remarks of the lesser tern that " It 

 appears to be confined to the very South of Swedeu, and no where 

 common." I have seen them on the west coast of Norway, as far 

 north as the mouth of the Sogne fiord ; and some years since 

 observed several of these little fellows hovering above the Leirdale 

 stream, where it enters this fiord. 



Ringed Dotterel. — Breeds in some numbers at Spurn. In walking 



