﻿BIRDS. 
  

  

  179 
  

  

  various 
  wild 
  berries 
  that 
  grow 
  upon 
  the 
  hills, 
  from 
  which 
  

   fact 
  its 
  flesh 
  has 
  a 
  very 
  pleasant 
  flavour 
  and 
  forms 
  a 
  very 
  

   toothsome 
  table 
  dainty. 
  

  

  " 
  The 
  Curlew 
  or 
  Whaup, 
  so 
  frequent 
  in 
  Lothian, 
  has 
  not 
  

   found 
  its 
  way 
  here." 
  (Robertson, 
  A 
  General 
  Vieiv 
  of 
  the 
  Agri- 
  

   culture 
  of 
  Kincardineshire, 
  p. 
  396.) 
  

  

  Order 
  GAVI^E. 
  

  

  Family 
  LARIDiE. 
  

  

  Sub-Family 
  STERNINiE. 
  

  

  Genus 
  STERNA, 
  Brisson. 
  

  

  [Sterna 
  macrura, 
  Naum. 
  Arctic 
  Tern. 
  

  

  " 
  A 
  summer 
  visitant, 
  breeding 
  on 
  St. 
  Fergus 
  beach." 
  

   (Serle.) 
  

  

  Edward 
  claims 
  to 
  have 
  found 
  this 
  species 
  breeding 
  on 
  

   one 
  of 
  the 
  islands 
  in 
  the 
  Loch 
  of 
  Strathbeg. 
  This 
  may 
  be 
  

   correct, 
  but 
  additional 
  confirmation 
  is 
  required 
  in 
  the 
  matter.] 
  

  

  Sterna 
  fluviatilis, 
  Naum. 
  Common 
  Tern. 
  "Sea 
  Swallow." 
  

  

  " 
  Pictarny." 
  

  

  A 
  summer 
  visitant, 
  abundant, 
  and 
  breeds 
  upon 
  the 
  sand- 
  

   flats 
  and 
  among 
  the 
  sand 
  dunes 
  along 
  the 
  coast 
  of 
  Aberdeen- 
  

   shire. 
  There 
  is 
  great 
  danger, 
  however, 
  that 
  before 
  many 
  

   years 
  have 
  passed, 
  this 
  fine 
  species 
  will 
  visit 
  our 
  coasts 
  no 
  

   more. 
  Thirty 
  years 
  ago 
  their 
  nests 
  could 
  be 
  seen 
  in 
  dozens 
  

   where 
  now 
  there 
  is 
  not 
  one, 
  and 
  year 
  by 
  year 
  the 
  birds 
  are 
  

   becoming 
  less 
  numerous. 
  This 
  is 
  caused 
  by 
  the 
  continual 
  

   robbing 
  of 
  the 
  nests, 
  and 
  egg-collectors 
  have 
  much 
  to 
  answer 
  

   for 
  in 
  this 
  matter. 
  A 
  senseless 
  fad 
  has 
  sprung 
  up 
  among 
  

   " 
  oologists 
  " 
  (?) 
  that 
  nothing 
  short 
  of 
  a 
  clutch 
  of 
  eggs 
  will 
  

   suit 
  them, 
  and 
  if 
  great 
  variation 
  is 
  observed 
  among 
  the 
  eggs 
  

   of 
  any 
  particular 
  species 
  of 
  bird, 
  several 
  "clutches" 
  must 
  be 
  

   had, 
  besides 
  "any 
  number" 
  of 
  single 
  varieties. 
  Thus 
  the 
  poor 
  

   Terns 
  and 
  many 
  others 
  birds 
  are 
  robbed 
  by 
  fellows 
  whose 
  only 
  

   object 
  is 
  " 
  how 
  many 
  clutches 
  and 
  what 
  amount 
  of 
  cash 
  can 
  

   we 
  make 
  out 
  of 
  them 
  in 
  the 
  season 
  ? 
  " 
  

  

  