BIRDS OF SOUTH-EAST NORTHUMBERLAND. 145 
Common CurLew (Numerius arquata).-—Occasionally seen in 
winter but never common, as there are no mud-flats about. In 
spring flocks are sometimes heard passing over at night, and 
then occasionally on an exceptionally starlit night one may utter 
its spring love trill. 
Wurmupret (N. pheopus).—An annual spring visitant on 
migration. Mr. C. M. Adamson relates the following on this 
species in his ‘ Scraps about Birds ’:—‘‘ On August 26th, 1851, I 
got a mature Whimbrel at Bates’ Island. It was moulting on 
its back, and the new feathers were coming, spotted with reddish 
brown like the plumage of the younger bird but darker. It 
apparently had been partially moulting for some time, as it had 
many feathers similar to those coming. The remainder of the 
plumage which had not been renewed was very much worn and 
faded. This bird showed that it had commenced to moult 
during summer, and that the early feathers changed had come 
in what might be supposed to have been its summer plumage, 
that is, supposing the species had a summer plumage. Now I 
remember having seen many Whimbrels in spring, but I cannot 
call to my recollection ever having seen one with what might be 
called any change to summer plumage on the back ; all the back, 
so far as I remember, showing only the worn feathers acquired at 
the autumnal moult the previous year, and without change of 
colour except by wear, the breasts being more or less spotted 
with grey only. Probably if such an occurrence ever happened 
as a moult of the back feathers in spring in this species they 
would come with rich-coloured spots as in this bird, which had 
begun to moult during its summer condition. I think, however, 
that by the time this bird had finished its autumnal moult these 
rich-coloured spotted feathers would have altered in appearance 
and would have formed a portion of the bird’s regular plainer 
plumage of winter. Why does the Whimbrel not get a decided 
summer plumage’? 
Roseate Tern (Sterna dougalli). —In his ‘Scraps about 
Birds’ Mr. Adamson mentions two specimens in his collection— 
a mature in summer plumage, and a young one in first plumage. 
“They were shot at Hartley Island as they flew together, the 
old one accompanying the young and attending to it (August 6th, 
1846). The young bird’s quills were not fully grown, showing 
