356 Scraps relating to Natural History, by C. M. Adamson. 



apparently the least exertion to Mmself, tiU he had obliged the 

 Terns to give up their food, when he as usual left them to go in 

 search for more or go without, he not caring so long as he got 

 what he required from them. Some years they are much less 

 common than others. In 1876, I only saw one fly near us when 

 we were in a boat going to draw fishing lines, which flew towards 

 the boat ; and it was pretty to see it as it examined a bladder 

 floating to show where a line was. It seemed not to understand 

 it, looking attentively at it, and turning its head sideways, so as 

 to see it more distinctly as it passed fearlessly on. During the 

 last days of August, 1880, we walked from Holy Island to Bam- 

 borough, when we saw many of these birds flying along the coast 

 backwards and forwards, and occasionally chasing the Terns as 

 usual. None seemed to settle on the water, but it was amusing 

 to see them in pursuit of the Terns ; in fact it reminded me of 

 hawking with trained hawks, as they seemed to act in concert, or 

 of coursing a hare with a couple of greyhounds. Many times 

 they hunted in couples, two singling out a Tern from a flock, pro- 

 bably the one which had the prize sought for ; but I could not 

 give an opinion whether the two Gulls acted in concert — one to 

 help the other — or that they bullied the Tern each on his own 

 account, but between the two the poor Tern had apparently no 

 chance till he had given up the coveted morsel, when it was left 

 alone. Can any one tell us why this bird does not accompany 

 the Terns on its northern migration in spring ? I never knew 

 one having been procured at that season. 



Storm Petrel. — On the 10th Sept., 1876, the Storm Petrel in 

 my collection was found dead by my daughter Mary on Goswick 

 Sands. It had been washed up by the tide, and was as wet as it 

 could be and mixed with sand. It looked like a House Martin, 

 from the white mark on its back ; but so soon as I saw what it 

 was I took it to the land, and in the first fresh water I found I 

 washed it thoroughly, and let it dry in the wind as we went home. 

 By the time we got there it was perfectly dry and as clean as ever 

 it was. It was moulting some of its body feathers, was lean, but 

 the cause of its death I know not. Who knows any thing about 

 these birds' migrations, I wonder ? 



Common Godwit. — During the latter part of the month of 

 August, in 1880, in my rambles on the slakes, I saw, as is usual 

 at this time of the year, some large flocks of these birds which 

 were unapproachable. I picked up several red feathers, and also 



