NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OV GLASGOW. 133 



AECTIC TEEN. 



STERNA HI RUN DO, Linnaeus. 



The Arctic Tern is of more frequent occurrence than the 

 Common Tern. 



COMMON TERN. 



STERNA FLUVIATILIS, Naumann. 



These two species are both abundant in the east, but rare in the 

 west. The Common Tern is found breeding on a small detached 

 island close to Handa, but only in very limited numbers ; and the 

 Arctic Tern is abundant on a loch in the east intermixing with the 

 latter. On Loch Migdale, near Bonar, the latter breed, and, as far 

 as I could observe, are the only species there. 



Ohs. Mr A. G. More ("Ibis," 1865, p. 453) includes the Lesser 

 Tern {Sterna minuta), in sub-province 35, but gives no authority ; 

 nor can I hear of a breeding place. 



Obs. No. 2. Mr A. G. More does not include the Sandwich Tern 

 {Sterna cantiaca), but remarks that the birds have been seen in 

 summer on the Firths of Tongue and Eriboll, " but the nest was 

 not discovered," evidently quoting Mr Selby. Mr J. Crawford 

 informs me that the Sandwich Tern is frequently seen on the 

 island of the Kyle of Tongue, and considers that it breeds there, 

 though he has not obtained the eggs. He further states that 

 " both species {i.e., Sandwich and Arctic Terns), arrive at nearly 

 the same time." 



Order viii., ANSERES. Fam. vi., PELECANIDAE. 



COEMORANT. 



PHALACROCORAX CARBO {Linnaeus). 



Not numerous on Handa ; and such as breed there invariably 

 choose the highest parts of the cliffs for nesting purposes. There 

 are no large settlements, perhaps halfa-dozen pairs breeding 

 together in the same place. On the Badcall islands, however, 

 there is a large colony, and the nests are placed in the simplest 

 places, where even a child might take the eggs. They seldom, 

 however, occupy the same island two years running. Thus one 

 season they crowd the rocks of one island, and the next entirely 

 desert it for the adjacent one. Their numbers are on the decrease; 



