24 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



arriving at the island. When first seen they are flying high 

 up, and continue doing so for a day or two, only resting at 

 night. In 1896 they arrived on 1 3th May; 1897, I4th 

 May; 1898, I5th May; 1899, I2th May; 1900, 1 4th 

 May; 1901, i6th May; 1902, 1 8th May. There are 

 certain localities where our visitors take up their abode, and 

 they stick closely to the same ground year after year. We 

 thus know exactly where to find their nests. They begin 

 to lay in the first week of June, and lay 2 eggs, sometimes 

 3, but this is not common. After they begin laying we 

 carefully avoid walking over that part of the island where 

 they are in possession, for their nests are so numerous and 

 close together that it is hardly possible to avoid trampling 

 nest and eggs. When the young are hatched the parents 

 are kept busy supplying them with food, which consists 

 chiefly of small sand eels and young herrings. They also 

 prey on worms when it is too stormy for fishing at sea. 

 On a wet evening, when worms are having an outing, the 

 terns are to be seen in hundreds all over the island, hovering 

 about 6 feet above the ground, every now and again making 

 a dart down, and when successful flying home with their 

 catch to their young. No time is lost, for the old bird 

 rarely alights when handing over the worm. It swoops 

 down to where the young one is standing with outstretched 

 neck and wide open bill, screaming out to let its where- 

 abouts be known, then off again for more. This continues 

 from morning till night. In 3 weeks from the time they 

 are hatched the young are able to fly short distances, and 

 about the 1st of August all are able to take wing and do 

 a little hunting on their own account. When this is the 

 case, young and old assemble together from the various 

 breeding places to a bare rocky part on the N.E. corner 

 of the island, and make this their headquarters until their 

 departure. Every day they make long flights in search of 

 food, and I suppose training the young for the long flight 

 before them. As a rule they disappear about the end of 

 August, but I have heard their cry at night well on towards 

 the end of September. These, I think, must be birds from 

 some other locality on passage, and attracted by the 

 light. I have never seen them near the light, but by the 



