Birds. 627 



Little tern, S. minuta. Common in Romney marsh. 



Black tern, S. nigra. Common. Breeds in Romney marsh. 



Sandwich tern, S. cantiaca. Rare. 



Gull-billed tern, S. anglica. Found in Romney marsh, but not 

 common. 



Roseate tern, S. Dougallii. Has been seen in Romney marsh. 



Black-headed gull, Larus atricilla. Breeds in Romney marsh in 

 great abundance. 



Kittiwake, L. tridactylus. Common. 



Glaucous gull, L. glaucus. Mr. Plomley has obtained a specimen 

 of this bird in Romney marsh. 



Laughing gull, L. ridibundus. Has been seen in Romney marsh. 



Great black-backed gull, L. marinus. Common. 



Herring gull, L. argentatus. Ditto. 



Common gull, L. canus. Ditto. 



Little gull, L. minatus. This bird has been seen by Mr. Plomley, 

 in Romney marsh. 



Common skua, Lestris cataractes. Common. 



Arctic skua, L. parasiticus. Rare. 



Fork- tailed petrel, Thalassidroma Leachii. Mr. Plomley has ob- 

 tained one specimen of this rare bird. 



Storm petrel, T. pelagica. These ill-omened birds are sometimes 

 to be seen on the Kentish coast in stormy weather. I once observed 

 several from the pier at Dover. The " Mother Carey's chickens," or 

 " Spenries," as they are called by sailors, are curious and interesting 

 birds, not only from the superstition which attaches to them, of caus- 

 ing storms and shipwrecks, but also from their swiftness of flight, and 

 the apparent ease with which they fly immense distances. The fol- 

 lowing account of a flock of " spenries " was sent by a brother gunner 

 who lately took a voyage to America, which illustrates their power of 

 flight. He says : — " The Mother Carey's chickens are mysterious 

 creatures. We have had a flock of them constantly in our vessel's 

 wake, from the time we left the English Channel. To all appearance 

 tliey never rest; they are with us day and night. They cannot go to 

 rest on the yards and rigging, for their web feet will not allow them 

 to hold on ; and if they float upon the water, how is it that they are 

 so incessantly with us, when we have passed over perhaps 200 miles 

 of sea between sun-rise and sun-set ? 1 at first imagined we must 

 often change our birds, and be followed at different times by different 

 flocks of them ; but this was disproved from the fact of the Captain 



