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THE ROSEATE TERN ON THE FARJSTE ISLANDS. 

 By the Rev. F. L. Blathwayt. 



The Roseate Tern (Sterna dougalli) was discovered in July, 

 1812, on some small islands in the Firth of Clyde, by Dr. 

 McDougall. The species was probably first observed on the 

 Fame Islands not long after this date. Selby, in an article on 

 the Birds of the Fame Islands (' The Zoological Journal,' vol. ii.), 

 stated that the birds were first noticed there about the year 1811 

 as a new species. The date is apparently not quite correct, but 

 it tends to show that the species was noticed on the Fame 

 Islands very soon after it was discovered in Scotland. In the 

 same article Selby continued : — " They now (1825) having greatly 

 increased, form a numerous colony, which occupies a large space 

 of ground near to that occupied by the Arctic species, and a 

 second station upon one of the Wamseys." From this time they 

 appear to have steadily decreased in numbers on the islands, 

 though it is just as likely that they were driven away by the 

 stronger species as that they were shot down and robbed by 

 visitors. 



Hewitson, in his ' British Oology,' edit. i. wrote concerning 

 the Roseate Tern : — " Upon the Fame and Coquet Islands . . . 

 they are very limited in number, consisting of a few pairs only, 

 mixed and associating with the numerous flocks of Arctic and 

 Sandwich Terns." 



The species still inhabited the islands in 1856, for in the 

 ' Proceedings ' of the Berwick Naturalists' Club for that year a 

 contributor, who had visited the islands, wrote, referring to 

 Brownsman Island : — " The sea-fowl are here very numerous, 

 especially . . . the Sea-swallow or Common Tern ; the Sand- 

 wich Tern and the Roseate Tern are less abundant." After this 

 the islands seem to have been nearly abandoned by this species, 

 though it is probable that a few pairs nested on them every year. 

 Gould, in his ' Birds of Great Britain ' (1862-73), stated that he 



