LARID^ — THE GULLS AND TERNS — STERNA. 301 



The Messrs. Godmau found the Arctic Tern breeding along the whole of the 

 northwest coast of Norway. In Iceland, according to Professor Newton, it has many 

 breeding-places in various parts of that island. According to Faber, it arrives there 

 about the middle of May, and departs about the end of August ; although generally 

 a few young ones remain a month longer on the southern coast. Professor Newton 

 also states (" Ibis," 18G5) that the Arctic Tern is common in Spitzbergen, breeding 

 as far north as latitude 80°, where Dr. Malmgren found it in coimtless' numbers 

 in July. It was not abundant in Ice Sound, but it was quite common among the 

 Thousand Islands, where its eggs are much sought after by the walrus-hunters who 

 resort thither. Martin mentions the excellence of these eggs as food ; and since his 

 time visitors to Spitzbergen have not failed to appreciate this fact. Dr. Malm- 

 gren first observed this bird on the 10th of June in Treurenberg Bay, feeding princi- 

 pally on surface-swimmers, as crustaceans, mollusks, and the like. Messrs. Evans 

 and Sturge mention meeting with a few Arctic Terns in Western Spitzbergen late 

 in June ; but the birds did not appear to be breeding, nor were any eggs of this 

 species seen. 



According to Middendorff, this species occurs in the tundras of the northern por- 

 tions of Siberia. Mr. G. Gillett found it numerous both on the western and on the 

 eastern coasts of Nova Zembla ; and Von Heuglin also observed it along the same 

 coast in small flocks. 



Mr. Wheelwright speaks of this species as being the commonest of the Terns in 

 the heart of Lapland ; and this is the only species of Tern mentioned by Sommer- 

 feldt in his list of the birds of Vardo, near the North Cape, who did not find it on 

 the Avest or northwest coast of Scandinavia. 



Dr. Walker found it on the coast of Greenland, near Godthaab ; and it is also given 

 by Professor Eeinhardt as being a resident species of that island. Mr. Bernard Ross 

 met with it on Great Bear Lake ; and Mr. Murray received it from Hudson's Bay, 

 from which region Captain Blakiston also procured specimens. 



Mr. Boardman informs me that this species breeds abundantly on the coast of 

 Maine, near Calais ; and it is also said to breed on islands in the fresh-water lakes 

 and ponds in the interior both of Maine and New Brunswick. Giraud did not recog- 

 nize it as one of the Terns which breed in and about the sea-coast of Long Island, 

 and it probably is not found south of jVIuskegat. 



Captain Elmes (" Ibis," 18G9) mentions finding this Tern breeding on a small rock 

 among the Outer Hebrides, called Hysker, although it was at a considerable distance 

 from their feeding-grounds ; and he noticed that none of the nests contained more 

 than two eggs. This was the case at all the other points he visited ; while the com- 

 mon Tern (S. hirundo), which he states to be also abundant in the Hebrides, usually 

 lays three. 



Yarrell regards this species as being more common than the bird usually known 

 as the common Tern, particularly in high northern latitudes. It is found in large 

 numbers in the Faroes, and is the Tern described by Graba under the name of 

 S. hrachytarsa, and said to frequent that group of islands. Mr. Dunn states that it 

 is abundant in the summer in the Orkney and Shetland Islands, as well as in the 

 Outer Hebrides — where, according to Macgilli\Tay, it is much more common than 

 S. hirundo. Mr. Thompson states that it occurs in large numbers, and is widely 

 distributed through Ireland. 



The several Arctic voyagers have found this species in great abundance at all the 

 points which they have visited. It was found breeding on Melville Peninsula, and 

 generally on the islands and beaches of the Arctic Sea. 



