OF KOKTHUMBEHLAyD AI«"T) DTJUHAM. 143 



some considerable time with its dimimitiye and pertinacious 

 antagonist. 



27. Lessee, Tehn". S. MrNuiA, LinncBUs. 



Sterna minuta, Bewick, Hist. Brit. Birds, Ed. 1847, II., 186. 

 Yarrell, Hist. Brit. Birds, Ed. 2, III., 519. 



In 1832 we took tlie eggs of this species on the mainland near 

 Holy Island; they were deposited on the bare gravelly beach, 

 but were not easily detected, on account of their resemblance in 

 colour to that of the material on which they rested. This inter- 

 esting spring-and-autumn migTant no longer breeds in that lo- 

 cality, and I know of no other station for it on our coast. It is 

 by no means a common species ; not more than ten or a dozen 

 pairs were located at the breeding station above mentioned, 



140. HYDROCHELIDON, Boie. 



28. Black Tern. H. eissipes, (LnmcBUs.) 



Sterna nigra, Bewick, Hist. Brit. Birds, Ed. 1847, II., 184. 

 ,, fissipes, Yarrell, Hist. Brit. Birds, Ed. 2, III., 523. 



A casual visitant. There are three examples of this species 

 in my collection. One in the first plumage was killed at Prest- 

 wick Car in 1831, and two adult examples, both taken in that 

 locality in JN'ovember, 1845. 



I learn from Mr. Duncan that a specimen was killed near 

 Morpeth on the 20th of September, 1858.- 



I once saw three Black Terns on the wing at Prestwick Car ; 

 they came so near to me that I could make out that two of them 

 were immature, and one adult. 



29. White-^yinged Biack Teen. H. nigea, {Linnceus.) 

 Sterna leucoptera, Yarrell, Hist. Brit. Birds, Ed. 2, III., 527. 

 Hydrochelidon leucoptera, Grould, Birds of Grt. Britain, Part XIV. 



This is a rare casual visitant, only a single example having 

 been taken in the district. This I obtained from the collection 

 of Mr. Oxley, of Eedcar, April, 187l» It is a very fine adult 



