r 
» 
\ starting the 
busines s of rearing a family* The ageing of 
the birds seen is? su > posed from t\ 
mst * Pt an nnsw m stulifis. 
lu i&ge ami. hosed for the 
if one aees a bird In a so 
called one-yorr old iluoage vlsl tling toe bro© ling a. roa one 
- :?. ■•* '-■> « ■:■■’. ■ f :i T *•, V: . >. *, :.'J * 1 
-*% f , “3 •> '•O • 
tlfw- O tOi: 
in r ed 
more rr-iidly than the development of ftls pin age or that ill 3 
plumage has Isabel behind. Thera lo no obvious re*-*- on to suppose 
the plumage is a more accurate Indicator of hi a actual sg« than 
his tendency to migrate* This 'juestlon has alr.*dy been 
considered by Austin on the Cos on tern in Ana rice but it would 
.be interesting to cornier© Ilia result.* with wtu t ray bo gleans# 
in a far shorter study if the Arctic toms of th; • Tamos where 
30 cany individual 3 hav© been ringed before ni since the 
war. In for the first tin© I saw one of the birds 
which I had colour rings i as a chic'- too ye rj lx, fore, 
year he nay be breeding . 1 
Smal 1 
■-csrbaoB descend earth- 
they had left, loll 
>ncc they had reached 
3 re organised way. 
-5£ _ 
- fA ifttir , ‘- 
~ *• 
In the ac V departure, of the terns was 
watched & number of times. It took place in the evenings 
from about 4 %n, until it was too dark to see any more 
>erti©s collect, often as a resglt of panics , nd these 
tie high©.- ad hi r drlftl 11 a : 
and adults were uan- lly mixed togs ir* t. > - ; .«a 
they m t fora themselves into loosely tmi l f hie 
would fly all together in one direction for xx,-,a seconds , 
but they would almost at ©see disperse and 
ward again to resettle on the rock 3 which 
of th© f ■ ocka did not return to the ground 
a good height but tended to fly in a more 
not closely lacked tout flying steadily In n sooner &nl 
height totally unit jf, 1 n in ." 2 season* • 
observations on isms at' the br ©ding grounds, fhen they grew 
to email b: naira In the distance their for a ti on reminded one of 
feigh-flying lapwings. By following those flocks we found that 
they -’ere not flying stoadD-iy in one llrectlon. Th--y reign t 
travel for several minute? a north*©*.:-. t end then one ring of tsie 
gr^ - ii break away in a nor© sots the rly- direction .ar t ; 
others would soon follow. Then once again the flack would ^ Iter 
course until they were all flying west* We sc. tehe \ a nuwber of 
flocks until we lost them to sight but found no tendency 
th«’t they vent off fcven in a predominantly souther y 'or any 
other) direction, hut it was liffieult to follow the flocks 
owin" to their gr*e t height. " 7 e nose times ••lcked thorn u 
fly inn over Use is ‘and @0 high that one could not so© them with 
the eye and even with glasses they appeared only as points 
of silver flashing in the evening sun. K;: ch time the birds 
beat their wl 1 v f ■ - whole flock gave the impression of a 
little cons tel la tl on of stars passing to their winter quarters. 
