LARID^. ODY 



White-winged Black Tern. Hydrocheiidon leu- 



co}jtera (Schiiiz). 



An accidental visitor, of very rare occiTrrence. We think that this little 

 Tern may occur more frequently on our southern coasts than is supposed, 

 aud may occasionally be overlooked. In the immature plumage the 

 young of this species and those of the Black Tern might easily be 

 confounded. 



Mr. F. W. L. Eoss, in his MS. ' British Laridse,' figures a specimen 

 "which he says was in Mr. Pincombe's collection at Plymouth, and was 

 supposed to have been killed on the Breakwater there. One, in full 

 moult, Avhich we have examined, was shot in the harbour at Ilfracombe 

 on 2nd or 3rd JS'ov. 1870, and is in the collection of Mr. Westlake of that 

 town (Harting, Handbook B. Birds, p. 169 ; H. Saunders, Yarrell's B. 

 Birds, 4th ed. lii. p. 523). An immature specimen from Mr. Ross's collec- 

 tion is in the A. M. M., and was probably obtained on the Exe ; Mr. Ptoss 

 does not seem to have discriminated between it and some immature 

 Black Terns with which it was cased. One said to have been obtained at 

 Kingsbridge is in Mr. Byne's collection, which passed into the hands of 

 the late Mr. Marsh-Dunn of Teignmouth. 



The Ptev. A. P. Morres, Vicar of Britford, near Salisbury, has informed 

 us that on 30th April, 1891, he saw a little flock of five adult White- 

 Avinged Black Terns flj'ing over the Salisbury Avon. The birds passed 

 close where he was standing, and there could be no error about them. 

 We also learn from him that Mr. Hart, the well-known bird-stuffer of 

 Christchurch, has frequently met with this species of Tern in the spring, 

 has some very good examples of it, and expects to see it with regularity. 



An adult of the White-winged Black Tern was shot on the Long Pool 

 at Tresco, on the Scilly Isles, on 14th May, 1882, and is now in the 

 collection at Tresco Abbey. An immature example was secured at 

 Sennen, in Cornwall, and was submitted to Mr. Howard Saunders, who 

 pronounced it to be a White-winged Black Tern (J. H. Gurney, Zool. 

 1887, p. 387). An adult was shot in Poole Harbour, in the month of 

 June, and Mr. Mansel-Pleydell also refers to Mr. Hart as his authority for 

 the frequent appearance of this species both on the Hampshire and 

 Dorsetshire coasts in May and June. 



The AVhite-winged Black Tern is a southern species possessing a most 

 extensive range over the world, being found throughout the south of 

 Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and even in .North 

 America. 



Black Tern. Uydrochelidon nir/ra (Linn.). 



A passing visitor to the south of the county in spring and atiJunm, at 

 intervals of about ten years, appearing in vast numbers at the latter season. 

 Some were obtained in 1S39, on tlie Exe estuary, near Toi)sham (F. W. 

 L .K., MS.). In 1849 a large flight of young birds came up the Exe as 



