LESSER TERN.
STERNA MINUTA.
DURING the last fivc-nm!-twenty years Hie lesser Tern has entirely disappeared from several of tlio breedingstations
In which il formerly resorted in the southern counties along the shores of the Channel, the rage for
egg-collecting hai in;; dim lit |o->, as in many oilier cases, been the main cause of this iulire-l i 11 •_' spech - being
driven to haunts on more unfrequented portions of our coast-line. The-e birds are, houci er, still sullieleully
abundant, breeding at many stations in other parts of the country, to learc little cause for supposing that they
stand a chance of becoming a rarity for many years to come. So regardless are these beautiful little Terns
concerning their own safety that they hover over those who approach the spots where their eggs or young are
concealed, and, in Iheir anxiety to protect them, poiut out the whereabouts of their treasures. The shinglebanks
on either side of Rye harbour were favourite stations of this species at the lime 1 lived in the district,
from ls.'iS to and numbers put in an appearance early every Spring, usually selecting for Iheir breedingquartcrs
the Mat portions of the shingli -b inks where the gravel was Hue or intermixed with sand and small
broken shells. 1 paid more attention to the colony established on the strelch of shingle to the west of the
channel running through the harbour, where from fifty to one hundred pairs were engaged in rearing their
young, in the years I v isited their haunts. During tin' breeding-season, immense numbers of Terns of various
species, the Lesser perhaps predominating after the spring (lights of Sandwich, Arctic, and Common Terns
have passed on towards the north, hover round the shallow water in the hay and the pools in the sands, darling
down continuously at the small fry that form their food. In still weather, as soon as the tide bad risen too
high for them to secure their prey, the birds usually settled down and rested on the lops of the poles driven into
the sand tu hold the " kettle-nets every stake in view at times having its occupant, and each bird sitting with
its head turned the same way, facing any light breeze that might rullle the surface of the waler. Occasionally
in blusterous weather, with gales of wind and squalls of rain, they would be found iu large llocks huddled
together on the sands, as usual faeiug the storms. Occasionally al low water I noticed a few of these birds
" Al the lime refcricd In, krltlonet. were »'t en many pnrtu along the flat. «andy .borei OF Kent and Snaiel, ailit iijieridly in lite Buy ; not
uiifre'jtii'Mly niiiinii-i' haul- of m.ieiierel were nisjlo, heiui, initeeil, tb.it only half of the take loahl bo saved. Often when bronchi a-hma,
and the dealer, as well ni I lie nlnile i.f the unlive* t ,r>li.,l. ilie remainder till I i 1"' r. HO I ii land in.l u-e,l .is im.iiur • 1, ft lo RET nil I he U-ach.
Kottle-nota, IN till' Ih'-1 ol my know Wee. ire peculiar ti Uli' south, coast, none having come nliilrr my notice ill other pill, of I ho country. A largo
circular net, enela.ing pcThi|U a i]uar1cr ol an acre. » net up In the height nf nlmul In fill, l.j lj •-i • - I i- • 11 - in eh- l.i-l i i I lie - U,!- in a p., JLIIR
manner, Sjiikei cut out OF wood are driien limine h the ondi of the pole,, and .Iran -bandi then wiund around thru : a BALE in ni It due in the
•and. and the "lake wilh it' mirrnun.l n?s jil .i-.-.l in The r ivev, and ibe -a!il r, ninii •! eel jiretsed down. The cirele of n, 1, however, i* a ,t quite
completed, about In feet neai.»t I he shore remaining nfjaaj a leader it net a»I in the name manner, only in a slriiiihl line) i« thru .tretched down
from the abate ud enter, the circle a few feet. Tho >ha*la of nth. when making their way along -here, strike the leader **imining down
toward, tho open tea, enter the circular eel and continue heading out word, till left dry by the tide, Frequently there arc two and .jmc'.imca threa
" highla," that is, ao man* acta of circular net" atnl kmler*, all leading sir.ighi i.iunnl, Iih w ocr iinrk. By these nieona Hit fl--h at tome
DIHTANAO from tho ahoro are enrhwed; it it only where ihu tidu ebb. a long dj>tuu< e on iandy t]uta,tbal •uch mean, ler flB|]-cnpturo can heemjilije'