BIRDS over the beach, twittering all the time like so many restless swallows. Both species of these terns keep separate in their breeding haunts, the lesser tern preferring rather the close proximity of the sea. They come early in May, the majority leaving towards the middle of September. At Rye I have observed them as late as 4 October. In August the home- bred birds are augmented by others from fur- ther north. 238. Sabine's Gull. Xema sabinii (Joseph Sabine) Very rare. A fine adult male was ob- tained near Rye on 2 October 1891. It was preserved by Mr. Catt of Iden, and is now in my collection. 239. Little Gull. Laru^ minutus, Pallas. Decidedly uncommon, occurring in winter and spring. I have the following records : one adult, near Gravesend, 6 October 1868 {Zool. 1868, p. 1462) ; one (in second year's plumage), Rainham, 7 February 1870; one adult, 14 February 1874, Milton Creek near Rainham ; one immature, 17 September 1884, Rainham ; one adult male, I2 March 1898, Horsemonden ; one adult female (mottled head), 17 October 1898, Broomhill, Lydd. The last two are in my collection, while in the collection of Mr. Oxenden Hammond there are several specimens besides those enumerated. 240. Black-headed Gull. Larus ridibundus, Linn. Locally, Crocker. A resident, but not so numerous as formerly. There is a breeding colony of these birds at the Hoppen Petts, Lydd. These ' petts,' which lie about four miles south-east of Lydd, consist of two large pieces of water of unknown depth, fringed with treacherous reed-beds. On 4 June 1896 I found over twenty nests there, all containing eggs with the exception of two, which had young. These nests were invariably placed close to the edge of the reed-beds nearest the water. On one small ' reedy ' promontory there were no fewer than eight, situated hardly a yard apart. These birds leave this place every autumn with marked regularity. There is a saying that the ' crocker,' as this gull is locally called, leaves the Hoppen Petts on Romney Fair day, which falls on 21 August. During the remainder of the year they frequent the sea- board in large parties. In rough weather they go sometimes far inland, visiting the freshly-turned furrows and following the plough to pick up the earthworms. This gull is common on the Medway from autumn to early spring (Prentis). In the north of the county these gulls leave for their breeding haunts about the end of February, the ma- jority returning in the beginning of August, when they resort throughout the winter to the creeks, occasionally visiting the ' sprat ' fields. 241. Common Gull. Larus canus, Linn. Locally, Cob. Not common. Generally seen on the flat portions of our shore line during the autumn migration. It has been obtained at Cran- brook. 242. Herring-Gull. Larus argentatus, J. F. Gmelin. Adult birds are numerous from September to early spring on the sandy stretches of our shore line between Rye and Dungeness. A certain number of immature birds remain with us throughout the year. There is a large colony of herring-gulls on the Dover clifls. 243. Lesser Black-backed Gull. Larus fuscus, Linn. Locally, Parson Mew. Adults are scarce, though occasionally met with in autumn and spring along the sandy stretches. Immature birds are fairly common. 244. Great Black - backed Gull. Larus marinus, Linn. Locally, Parson Mew. Adults are more numerous than those of the last named species, being observed in Sep- tember and again in March ; but the majority keep out at sea, following in the wake of trawlers in expectation of seizing the small fry that is thrown overboard. Immature birds are numerous throughout the year. 245. Kittiwake. Rissa tridactyla (Linn.) Locally, Sprat Mew. Occasionally met with from autumn to spring near our estuaries and harbours. After stormy weather individuals have been taken far inland. 246. Great Skua. Megalestris catarrhactes (Linn.) A rare straggler. On 4 October 1900 an adult female was killed at sea off Dungeness and examined in the flesh by Mr. Ruskin Butterfield of St. Leonards (Zo«/. 1900, p. 521). 247. Pomatorhine Skua. Stercorarius poma- torhinus (Temminck) Occurs more frequently than preceding 299
