HINTS FOR COLLECTING WATER-BIRDS. 



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Terns : these should all be got on their first arrival here in spring, they 

 are then in beautiful feather, and I must caution the collector to be 

 very particular in keeping the birds he shoots as clean as possible, a 

 hint to be attended to in all birds killed for preserving, but more par- 

 ticularly requisite in these, as the feathers are very delicate, and the 

 beautiful gloss on them can never be restored when once they are soiled 

 or made bloody ; they are also very liable to run at the mouth, which is 

 sure to stain the feathers; to prevent this a piece of cotton or tow 

 should be put in the mouth and through the nostrils as soon as shot, 

 and always avoid (when possible) carrying them in the pocket, a better 

 way is to tie a piece of string to their legs and sling them under the 

 arm by a belt, I always find that I injure them less so than in any 

 other way. They lose their black heads in winter, but are not with us 

 then ; I have, however, frequently shot them in autumn just before 

 they leave, with the head half white. The Sandwich Tern {Sterna 

 cantiaca) I have killed in this state, and have also had the pleasure of 

 bringing home the beautiful eggs of this fine birdfrom some Salterns at 

 the mouth of the river Blackwater in this county, and also from the 

 Fern Islands, on the Northumberland coast. A young of all the 

 species should be obtained before they take their departure. 



In the gulls, the variety of plumage from the young to the perfect 

 state is exceedingly great. The black-backed gull (Lams marinus) 

 requires five specimens ; an adult bird in summer and winter, the 

 young before the first moult, one the first winter, and one the second ; 

 the third winter they are perfect. I never noticed any difference of 

 colouring in the sexes. The same number of specimens are required 

 for the lesser black-back (L.fuscus) and the herring gull (L. argen- 

 tatus), they being the same time in immature plumage ; the young of 

 these three species are very much alike. The common gull (L. canus) 

 must also have five specimens ; the old in summer and winter, the 

 young before moulting, one the first winter, and one the second ; they 

 are nearly perfect then, having only a little brown on the tail, and in 

 the spring are quite so. Of the black-headed or laughing gull (L. 

 ridibundus), four specimens will be sufficient ; one in summer with its 

 black head ; one in winter, and two young ones ; one before the moult 

 and one after ; the following spring their plumage is complete ; they 

 assume their black head in March, and the latter end of that month or 

 beginning of April should be obtained : if killed later in the summer 

 the black on the head is not near so fine, and the gloss on their breast 

 in a great measure lost. 



