'1 WHITE-WINGED BLACK TERN.
" May J8,1878. Wind nortli and cold. Having beard that tererai' Dan **, whOM description answered
exactly for this species, bad been noticed for Hie last four or live dayi frequenting llickling Broad, 1 rowiil
round llie water in search of the strangers. The keeper who gave me the information stated that in his fifty
years' experience of the Broad he bad seen nothing like them before; as the man was a good authority on all
the native fowl, waders, and sea-birds, it is probable that their visits to this locality were unfrequcnt. I had
not pulled above a quarter of a mile when a line old male was detected hovering round the edges of the hills,
and a few hours later a party of six or seven were met with Hying over the Broad. Thousands of Sand-SI art ins
skimmed hither anil thither across the surface of the wider, darting at the insects, and the Terns, immediately
joining a large swarm, continued in their company for some time. In no single instance did I SIT them dash
into the water as observed on Breydon, and in all probability food is only procured in this manner on salt water:
during the whole of the afternoon they remained hawking for insects in precisely Hie same niauuer as the
Martins. After watching their actions for some hours, several of their number often approaching and
sweeping round the put w ithin the distance of three or four yards, I procured without ditl'tculty as many
specimens as were needed. On tin1 follow ing day several small parlies came in view beating to windward over
the Broad ; a fresh breeze from the north-east was blowing, and after a few turns they worked away in the face
of the gale; the wind being too strong for the insects to show themselves, the Martins were absent during the
whole of the day. Three or four of the birds seen towards evening were more strongly mark.il on the breast
with white than those previously observed; these doubtless exhibited some of the more immature stages of
plmuage."