174 



THE COMMON TERN. 



Sterna flitviaiilis Naum. 



A FEW Oommon Terns arrived at their breeding-grounds 

 on the south-east o£ England on April the 9th and 13th, 

 and the main body on the 23rd. By May the 21st nesting- 

 operations were in full swing. 



On the Lancashire coast the first arrivals appeared on 

 April the 28th, and the numbei'S showed a gradual increase 

 during May, but the full complement of breeding-birds did 

 not appear until quite the end of the month. 



A movement seems to have taken place up the east coast 

 of England during the second week in May, when doubtless 

 some of the more northern breeding-birds moved to their 

 summer-quarters. 



Chronological Summary of the Records. 



Ai)ril 9. Dungeness, Kent. 



„ 13. Dungeness, Kent. 



„ 23. Dungeness, Kent (large numbers). 



„ 28. Lancashire (several). 



May 1. Lancashire. 



„ 3. Oxford. 



„ 4. Lancashire. 



„ 6. Lancashire. 



„ 7. Lancashire (few). 



,, 8. Sussex (few) and Norfolk (many passing). 



„ 11. Oxford. 



,, 13. Cambridge. 



„ 15. Sussex (many) and Cumberland. 



„ 20. Lancashire (many). 



